Question

Read this excerpt from William Shakespeare's Sonnet 93 and fill in the blanks in the paragraph. Whate'er thy thoughts, or thy heart's workings be, Thy looks should nothing thence, but sweetness tell. How like Eve's apple doth thy beauty grow, If thy sweet virtue answer not thy show! The tone of the poem is (romantic, bitter, sarcastic) . The poetic speaker is praising denouncing the lady addressed. He uses the (parallelism, simile, metaphor) of Eve’s apple, which symbolizes the ( deception, sorrow) concealed in attractive things. The poet contrasts the lady's beauty and her (virtue symbolism) to show that her beauty does not reveal her inner (virtue, corruption) .

Answer 1

1) The tone of the poem is bitter. This sonnet is about a forbidden love and the risk which author takes when he puts up with his feelings. He acknowledges that he can be judged by others, and that this love is a sin, but the feelings are far powerful than harsh reality. That's why the tone of the poem is bitter, as it is hard for author to resist his sinful thoughts.

2) He uses the simile of Eve’s apple, which symbolizes the deception concealed in attractive things. Simile is a figure of speech that is employed to express the comparison of one thing with another one. The author admits that he is attracted by the youth and appearance of the one he loves, and though he realises that it can bring lots of troubles forbidden fruit is the sweetest.
3) The poet contrasts the lady's beauty and her virtue to show that her beauty does not reveal her inner corruption. Shakespeare represents here a symbol of outward perfection but internal vice: the one he is in love with has a beautiful appearance, but she may be morally worm-eaten with vice.

Answer 2

Answer:

1. biitter

2. denouncing

3. simile

4. deception

5. virtue

6. corruption