Sonnet 144 Figurative Language

I chose these two sonnets because of the way he uses references to the Gods . I think it’s interesting that he chose them to use as ways of explanation because of the time period that he was in when writing them . At that point in time, I don’t believe that they really believed in Gods so much as they believed in one singular God . At least in England I believe, the major religion was Christianity .

In sonnet number 144, he references an evil and a good spirit, which through my interpretation would be the ‘Gods’ . One being God himself, the other being Satan . One leading him one way, through a path of well being and good intentions . The other leading him down a path of darkness and despair . He knows that if they meet, they’ll either come together for good or evil, and that will decide his fate . At the end of the sonnet when he says “... Suspect I may, but not directly tell; But being both from me both to each friend, I guess one angel in another’s hell. Yet this shall I ne 'er know, but live in doubt, till my bad angel fires my good one out.”, I feel as though he means since the evil spirit has

He says “...I grant I never saw a Goddess go; my mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground...” . Gods and Goddess’ were rumored to be able to fly and levitate, which is presumably quite graceful and pretty . Which is in contrast to treading the ground which is clumsy, loud and obnoxious . In the sonnet Shakespeare mostly has negative things to say about his mistress, saying her breath reeks, her hair is like black wire and she lacks color in her cheeks. I believe though, that even though he said some fairly unpleasant things, he did quite care about her . He says at the end, “...And yet, by heaven, I think my love is rare as any she belied with false compare.”. Meaning that even though she isn’t the prettiest, or the most hygienic, he still loves her very much