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A Multi-perspective Interpretation of Imagery in Sonnet 98 by Shakespeare

Author(s)

Nianli Deng

Affiliation(s)

Guangzhou University of Software, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Abstract

This study explores the seasonal imagery, floral imagery, and mythological imagery in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 98, a sonnet in the Fair Youth sequence. The Multi-perspective exploration is conducted based mainly on Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory along with the Elizabethan historical context of Sonnet 98. The study has also focused on how seasonal, floral, and mythological images form a cohesive system to present the theme of emotional loss. Based on the metaphorical and cultural connotations presented by the images, it is found that there is a subversion of conventional seasonal symbolism and floral symbolism in Sonnet 98. The subversion has created a unique expression of devoted love by indicating spring as a time of sadness and perceiving flowers as inferior copies of the beloved.

Keywords

Sonnet 98; Seasonal Imagery; Floral Imagery; Mythological Imagery; Metaphor

References

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