1. Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71
William Shakespeare
Sonnet 71
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71

2. Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71
What is the poet saying?
Quatrain 1 “No longer mourn for me when I am dead
Than you shall hear the surly sullen bell
Give warning to the world that I am fled
From this vile world, with vilest worms to dwell.” (1-4)
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71

3. Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71
Quatrain 1
The speaker asks to be forgotten when he dies
He suggests that he is leaving a “vile world” to dwell “with vilest worms.”
Worms=death and decay
Vile=disgusting
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71

4. Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71
Quatrain 1
The word vile is used to describe the worms and the world
The speaker does not think highly of the world
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71

5. Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71
Quatrain 1
Death bell
Rings to inform the world of his passing
Vocabulary
Surly—bad tempered, unfriendly, rude
Sullen—showing bad temper by a refusal to talk; hostilely silent
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71

6. Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71
Quatrain 2
“Nay, if you read this line, remember not The hand that writ it; for I love you so That I in your sweet thoughts would be forgot If thinking on me then should make you woe.” (5-8)
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71

7. Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71
Quatrain 2
The speaker would rather be forgotten that cause sadness to this person
Introduction of main theme
Love
I would rather you forget I ever existed than cause you any pain
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71

8. Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71
Quatrain 3
“O, if, I say, you look upon this verse When I, perhaps, compounded am with clay, Do not so much as my poor name rehearse, But let your love even with my life decay,” (9-12)
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71

9. Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71
Quatrain 3
The speaker asks to be completely forgotten.
If you come across my poetry, do not think of me; rather, allow your memory of me to decay just as my body decays in the ground.
Very unselfish
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71

10. Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71
Quatrain 3
Vocabulary
Compounded—mixture (his body and the earth will become one as his body decays)
Rehearse—to practice something before performing
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71

11. Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71
Couplet
“Lest the wise world should look into your moan And mock you with me after I am gone.” (13-14)
The speaker suggests that the world will mock and take advantage of his beloved because of his sadness.
Is this how the world is?
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71

12. How does he go about saying it?
Poetic Devices
Shakespearean Sonnet
Rhyme Scheme
abab cdcd efef gg
3 quatrains and 1 couplet
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71

13. Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71
Meter
ᴗ ´ ᴗ ´ ᴗ ´ ᴗ ´ ᴗ ´
No longer mourn for me when I am dead
Iambic Pentameter
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71

14. Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71
Symbolism
“vilest worms”
Death
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71

15. Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71
Tone
Sad
Selfless
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71

16. Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71
Theme
Death?
Love?
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare Sonnet 71