Looking at the title, the reader understands the poem he or she is going to read is a sonnet, part of a composition (being it number 20).

As to the layout, this sonnet is organized into three quartains and one final couplet; the three quartains are made with lines of different length, and present an alternate rhyme (A-B-A-B); also the couplet, is in rhyme (pleasure-treasure).

Analyzing the first stanza, the reader assumes that Shakespeare is presenting a woman who he loves; her face is so beautiful it was “painted” by Nature itself, but she is also “unique”; her gentle heart makes her different from other women, so tending to “fickle-change”. All this, is marked by her being the mistress of poet's desire.

The second quartain opens with two lines highlighting the woman's gaze: it is bright and sincere, more than other women's, and “real”. The last two lines confuse the reader: who has been thought to be a woman, now is told as a man “in shape and form”. Anyway it doesn't matter, because this is somebody who enchants both women and men.

The third and last of the quartains provides an explanation to the disoriented reader: the object of Shakespeare's love is a man, even if he presents some femminine charcteristics; Nature gave this young man “too much”, preventing the poet from realizing his love.

The couplet consists into the conclusion of Shakespeare's thoughts, with a consideration: he will let his body be “treasure” for women, as society wanted it to be, but he will always be jealous of his real love.

Moving now on to a more detailed denotative analysis, the intelligent reader realizes how the poem seems very ironic. Shakespeare isn't scared to show facts as they really are, not caring about what modern and caring society would think. He doesn't mince words while saying how women are usually false, beautiful and careful on the outside, but contemptuous in the inside. He is ironic too in the third quartain, while telling the reader how Nature was so generous, it gave Shakespeare's love a penis. This fact is told in a very light way, hiding its importance, its consequences into the poet's life. Actually Nature is presented as Shakespeare's enemy: it is the reason why he can't love a woman, as “normal people” did those days. Its act of giving his unnamed desire a penis, made his love impossible. The last two lines of the sonnet indeed are a declaration of impotence: he knows his body is made to be women's, and this can't change; he accepts this, but makes a (little) act of rebellion: his love, will never be repressed.

In my opinion this sonnet is really brave: it talks about a subject that in the 17^th century was a “taboo” (actually, it is a taboo also nowadays), without any fear, or filter. The way it is written makes it light, sometimes even funny, and this is a very peculiar way of dealing with topics that for real are important. I liked it because I would have never expected Shakespeare to write such type of sonnets, and it impressed my positively. Also, I personally like this way of writing.

As to the reason why this sonnet might have a connection with The Picture of Dorian Gray, I think that there is an affinity between Shakespeare's and Dorian's painter love: theirs is an unworkable love, forced to be Platonic. If Shakespeare finds its vent into writing a poem, the other finds it into portraying Dorian. Both, find repair in art