In the present text I’m going to analyze Shakespeare’s 20th sonnet.

This composition hasn’t a precise title. One can only understand that it is the twentieth sonnet of a group of sonnets.  

Once read the novel the reader understands that the poem expounds a man who is characterized by many aspects. These aspects aren’t common for men.

The poem starts portraying a woman’s face that is coloured by Nature. This is a device to make the reader understand that the person described is handsome. The narrator goes on telling that this unnamed person has his desire. The protagonist is also gentle like a woman but isn’t disposed to act in that way. This attitude is common of fake women. His eyes are brighter and more authentic than women’s and every time they look any object, it becomes brighter. This person physically seems like a man but he can control all the others men. This ability isn’t common among men, whereas it is usual among women because with their appeal can control men. In addition he can take men’s attention but at the same time astonish women interiority. He was created to be a woman. Nature gave him something that made the narrator lose him and didn’t give him the possibility to fully have the man. The narrator ends explaining that since he was created to make pleasure to women. They could have his body but the narrator could have his love. He doesn’t want a material relationship.

Moving on with a connotative analysis the intelligent reader could understand that Shakespeare tries to share a message. He probably wants to make everyone understand that he is attracted by the person portrayed in the sonnet. Following his characteristics one can conclude that this person is a man. This is a delicate theme, especially for Shakespeare’s times. This could be the reason why this sonnet isn’t so much known and analyzed in schools. It isn’t clear what Shakespeare really wants to tell. This man behave like a woman and Nature created him to be like that but he physically seem like man. Nature become an artist that models the man. The reader understand this by the first line in which Nature paints man’s face. Also through the word “wrought” that is used with an object that is formed by someone. So this man is like an object shaped by an artist and like an object has become a narrator’s desire.

This sonnet is written with an archaic language, typical of Shakespeare’s era. An example is the beginning of the second line where to say “have you” the narrator uses the words “hast thou”. There are also a lot of punctuations to create the rhythm of the sonnet. The reader has to stop at the end of every line before going on reading. This expedient helps the reader to understand and analyze every line.

This sonnet also treats the theme of beauty like the novel “The picture of Dorian Gray”. In this way they can be compared. In addition both compositions tell about sensationalist facts. In the sonnet homosexuality is probably a main theme and in “The picture of Dorian Gray” a main theme is the lasting of the beauty forever. Both are topics that have always been much treated and analyzed.