Sonnet 6
Encyclopedia
Sonnet 6 is a sonnet
by William Shakespeare
, and a continuation of his fifth sonnet.
, as though the two poems were intended as one, itself perhaps a reference to the idea of pairing through marriage that informs the first 17 sonnets. The sweet "vial" refers to the distillation of perfume from petals mentioned in Sonnet 5, but is now directly explained and expanded as an image of sexual impregnation in order to produce children. The image of "usury" refers to replication of the invested "essence" in offspring, in the same way that money earns interest. The propagation of children can never be exploitative. A tenfold return on the investment is to be desired.
Sonnet
A sonnet is one of several forms of poetry that originate in Europe, mainly Provence and Italy. A sonnet commonly has 14 lines. The term "sonnet" derives from the Occitan word sonet and the Italian word sonetto, both meaning "little song" or "little sound"...
by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, and a continuation of his fifth sonnet.
Synopsis
The opening line of this sonnet leads directly from the end of Sonnet 5Sonnet 5
Sonnet 5 is a sonnet written by William Shakespeare.-Analysis:It repeats the emphasis on human aging, compared with progress of the seasons. The final couplet about "distilled flowers" refers to the extraction of perfume from petals, in which the visible "show" of the flowers disappears, but their...
, as though the two poems were intended as one, itself perhaps a reference to the idea of pairing through marriage that informs the first 17 sonnets. The sweet "vial" refers to the distillation of perfume from petals mentioned in Sonnet 5, but is now directly explained and expanded as an image of sexual impregnation in order to produce children. The image of "usury" refers to replication of the invested "essence" in offspring, in the same way that money earns interest. The propagation of children can never be exploitative. A tenfold return on the investment is to be desired.