Shakespeare's SonnetsDuring the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, she accomplished considerable changes in English culture. The Elizabethan era saw a great flourishing of literature, particularly in the areas of poetry and drama. Unlike the poetry of the Anglo-Saxon period, the poetry of the Elizabethan era established many themes such as love, old age, rebirth, and individualism that could not be seen in Anglo-Saxon literatures . William Shakespeare, the most influential writer in all of English literature, was born in the Elizabethan era. Throughout his sonnets 130, 73 and 29, William Shakespeare reveals themes of love, old age and wealth. In sonnet 130, Shakespeare's confession of love to his wife is very rare because he writes about love in an unconventional way. Shakespeare compares his beloved unfavorably to a number of other beauties. Shakespeare refuses to describe his wife in the form of the Petrarchan sonnet, which is "the first and most common sonnet named after one of its greatest practitioners, the Italian poet Petrarch" ("Poetic Form: Sonnet") . The women in Petrarch's sonnet are described as ideally beautiful. Sonnet 130 mocks Petrarch's typical metaphors by telling the truth, rather than making his wife a goddess. For example, Shakespeare notes that his eyes “have nothing to do with the sun” (1). Her lips are less red than coral and her breasts are a dull color compared to the whiteness of snow. Shakespeare even says that “music has a far more pleasant sound” (9) than his voice. However, in the verse, Shakespeare reverses all of the derogatory comments he has made: "And yet, by heaven, I think my love is as rare / As any other she has belied with false simile" (13 -14). Shakespeare shows his intention to emphasize that love does not...... middle of paper ......ve. It's what's inside that really matters. In Sonnet 73, Shakespeare speaks metaphorically about old age and remarks that love with his wife becomes more intense as time is limited. Sonnet 29 tells readers that a good memory of someone's love can bring spiritual wealth and overcome a bad situation. Shakespeare's unique stylistic devices spark interest in reading his poems and stand out from conventional writings. Works Cited “Poetic Form: Sonnet.” Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, nd Web. April 21, 2014. Shakespeare, William. "Sonnet 73". Ed. Amandine Mabillard. Shakespeare Online. Internet. December 8, 2012. “Sonnets.” The Middle Ages. Ed. Alfred David and James Simpson. 9th ed. New York: WWNorton., 2012. 1166-86. Flight. B from The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Stephen Greenblatt, ed. general. 3 vol. Print.