Figurative Language:
* Simile: "So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, / So long lives this, and this gives life to thee." The comparison of the poem's words to life itself is a simile.
* Metaphor: "Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, / And summer's lease hath all too short a date." The entire poem is a metaphor, comparing the beloved's beauty to a summer's day.
* Personification: "And summer's lease hath all too short a date." Summer is given human characteristics, like having a lease.
Structure & Sound:
* Sonnet: The poem is a Shakespearean sonnet, following the 14-line structure with a specific rhyme scheme (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG).
* Iambic Pentameter: Each line has 10 syllables with an alternating pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables.
* Rhyme: The poem uses a consistent rhyme scheme (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG) and creates a sense of flow and musicality.
* Alliteration: "Rough winds do shake" (emphasizes the "w" sound)
* Assonance: "And summer's lease hath all too short a date" (repetition of the long "a" sound)
Other Devices:
* Enjambment: The lines flow seamlessly into each other, creating a sense of uninterrupted thought and emotion.
* Paradox: "So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, / So long lives this, and this gives life to thee." The poem itself, a work of art, promises eternal life to the beloved, defying mortality.
* Hyperbole: "Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade," is a hyperbole, emphasizing the enduring power of the poem and the beloved's beauty.
These are just a few of the literary devices employed in "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?" By understanding these devices, you can better appreciate the depth and beauty of Shakespeare's writing.