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赏析：莎士比亚所处的英国伊莉莎白时代是爱情诗的盛世，写十四行诗更是一种时髦。莎士比亚的十四行诗无疑是那个时代的佼佼者，其十四行诗集更是流传至今，魅力不减。他的十四行诗一扫当时诗坛的矫柔造作、绮艳轻糜、空虚无力的风气。据说，莎士比亚的十四行诗是献给两个人的：前126首献给一个贵族青年，后面的献给一个黑肤女郎。这首诗是十四行诗集中的第18首，属前者。也有人说，他的十四行诗是专业的文学创作。当然，这些无关宏旨，诗歌本身是伟大的。莎士比亚的十四行诗总体上表现了一个思想：爱征服一切。他的诗充分肯定了人的价值、赞颂了人的尊严、个人的理性作用。诗人将抽象的概念转化成具体的形象，用可感可见的物质世界，形象生动地阐释了人文主义的命题。诗的开头将“你”和夏天相比较。自然界的夏天正处在绿的世界中，万物繁茂地生长着，繁阴遮地，是自然界的生命最昌盛的时刻。那醉人的绿与鲜艳的花一道，将夏天打扮得五彩缤纷、艳丽动人。但是，“你”却比夏天可爱多了，比夏天还要温婉。五月的狂风会作践那可爱的景色，夏天的期限太短，阳光酷热地照射在繁阴班驳的大地上，那熠熠生辉的美丽不免要在时间的流动中凋残。这自然界最美的季节和“你”相比也要逊色不少。而“你”能克服这些自然界的不足。“你”在最灿烂的季节不会凋谢，甚至“你”美的任何东西都不会有所损失。“你”是人世的永恒，“你”会让死神的黑影在遥远的地方停留，任由死神的夸口也不会死去。“你”是什么？“你”与人类同在，你在时间的长河里不朽。那人类精神的精华——诗，是你的形体吗？或者，你就是诗的精神，就是人类的灵魂。诗歌在形式上一改传统的意大利十四行诗四四三三体，而是采用了四四四二体：在前面充分地发挥表达的层次，在充分的铺垫之后，用两句诗结束全诗，点明主题。全诗用新颖巧妙的比喻，华美而恰当的修饰使人物形象鲜明、生气鲜活。诗人用形象的表达使严谨的逻辑推理变得生动有趣、曲折跌宕，最终巧妙地得出了人文主义的结论。Shakespeare-Sonnet18Thissonnetisbyfaroneofthemostinterestingpoemsinthebook.OfShakespeare'ssonnetsinthetext,thisisoneofthemostmovinglyricpoemsthatIhaveeverread.Thereisgreatuseofimagerywithinthesonnet.Thisisnottosaythattherestofthepoemsinthebookwerenotgood,butthistomewasthebest,mostinteresting,andmostbeautifulofthem.Itismainlyduetothesimplicityandlovelinessofthepoem抯praiseofthebelovedwomanthatithasguaranteeditsplaceinmymind,andheart.Thespeakerofthepoemopenswithaquestionthatisaddressedtothebeloved,ShallIcomparetheetoasummer'sday?Thisquestioniscomparinghertothesummertimeoftheyear.Itisduringthistimewhentheflowersareblooming,treesarefullofleaves,theweatheriswarm,anditisgenerallythoughtofasanenjoyabletimeduringtheyear.Thefollowingelevenlinesinthepoemarealsodedicatedtosimilarcomparisonsbetweenthebelovedandsummerdays.Inlines2and3,thespeakerexplainswhatmainlyseparatestheyoungwomanfromthesummer'sday:sheismorelovelyandmoretemperate.(Line2)Summer'sdaystendtowardextremes:theyaresometimesshakenbyroughwinds(line3)whichhappensandisnotalwaysaswelcomingasthewoman.Howeverinline4,thespeakergivesthefeelingagainthatthesummermonthsareoftentoshortbysaying,Andsummer抯leasehathtooshortadate.Inthesummerdays,thesun,theeyeofheaven(line5),oftenshinestoohot,ortoodim,hisgoldcomplexiondimmed(line6),thatistherearemanyhotdaysduringthesummerbutsoonthesunbeginstosetearlieratnightbecauseautumnisapproaching.Summerismovingalongtooquicklyforthespeaker,itstimehereneedstobelonger,anditalsomeansthatthechillingofautumniscominguponusbecausetheflowerswillsoonbewithering,aseveryfairfromfairsometimedeclines.(Line7)Thefinalportionofthesonnettellshowthebeloveddiffersfromthesummerinvariousrespects.Herbeautywillbeonethatlastsforever,Thyeternalsummershallnotfade.(Line9),andneverendordie.Inthecoupletatthebottom,thespeakerexplainshowthatthebeloved'sbeautywillaccomplishthiseverlastinglifeunlikeasummer.Anditisbecauseherbeautyiskeptaliveinthispoem,whichwilllastforever.Itwillliveaslongasmencanbreatheoreyescansee.(Line13)Onthesurface,thepoemisonthesurfacesimplyastatementofpraiseaboutthebeautyofthebelovedwomanandperhapssummertothespeakerissometimestoounpleasantwiththeextremesofwindinessandheatthatgoalongwithit.However,thebelovedinthepoemisalwaysmildandtemperatebyhernatureandnothingatalllikethesummer.Itisincidentallybroughttolifeasbeingdescribedastheeyeofheavenwithitsgoldcomplexion.Theimagerythroughoutthesonnetissimpleandattainabletothereader,whichisakeyfactorinunderstandingthepoem.ThenthespeakerbeginstodescribethesummeragainwiththedarlingbudsofMaygivingwaytothesummer抯lease,springtimemovingintothewarmthofthesummer.Thespeakerthenstartstopromisetotalkaboutthisbeloved,thatissogreatandawingthatsheistoliveforeverinthissonnet.Thebelovedissogreatthatthespeakerwillevengoasfarastosaythat,Solongasmenbreathe,oreyescansee,thewomanwilllive.ThelanguageisalmosttoosimplewhencomparingittotherestofShakespeare抯sonnets;itisnotheavywithalliterationorverse,andnearlyeverylineisitsownself-containedclause,almosteverylineendswithsomepunctuationthateffectsapause.ButitisthisthatmakesSonnet18standoutfortherestinthebook.Itismuchmoreattainabletounderstandanditallowsforthereadertofullyunderstandhowgreatthisbelovedtrulyisbecauseshemayliveforeverinit.Animportantthemeofthesonnet,asitisanimportantthemethroughoutmuchofthepoetryingeneral,isthepowerofthespeaker'spoemtodefytimeandlastforever.Andsobydoingthisitisthencarryingthebeautyofthebeloveddowntofuturegenerationsandeventuallyforalofeternity.Thebeloved'seternalsummershallnotfadepreciselybecauseitisembodiedinthesonnet:Solongasmencanbreatheoreyescansee,(line13)thespeakerwritesinthecouplet,Solonglivesthis,andthisgiveslifetothee.(Line14)Withthisthespeakerisabletoaccomplishwhatmanyhavedoneinpoetryandthatistogivethegiftofaneternallifetosomeonethattheybelieveisspecialandoutshineseveryoneelsearoundthem.Perhapsitisbecauseofaphysicalbeautythatthespeakersee,butIbelievethatitismorebecauseoftheinternalbeautyasseeninline2,Thouartmorelovelyandmoretemperate,thatthebelovedisdeservingtoliveonforever.