A Comparative Study Of Thomas Carew and William Shakespeare.

Thomas Carew was the poetic literary advisor in the court of Charles I Carew is very eminent for penning the infamous erotic poem in seventeenth century, 'A Rapture.” He belonged to the cavalier or the Elizabethan era. Thomas was one of the few established metaphysics poet. Metaphysical poetry is nothing but exceedingly intellectualized poems characterized using bold and creative elements, strange imagery, difficulty and sensitivity of thought, recurrent usages of irony. In his work of art ‘Lips and eyes’ which is a romantic poem which aims at deciding the most beautiful feature possessed by his beloved.

William Shakespeare was celebrated as the foremost dramatist of his time. Shakespearean sonnets were written over the course of 1593 to 1601 however, they were published only after 1609. These collection of poems, The Sonnets of Shakespeare, contains a total 154 sonnets. Now, sonnets 127 to 152 are especially dedicated to a mysterious but mesmerizing 'Dark Lady,' who was rumoured to be Shakespeare’s love interest. The themes of predictable fading away of time, and the eternalness of love and splendour are in poetry reflect heavily through all of his sonnets.

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Now, there are several strikingly contrasting and distinguishing elements when talking about a comparative study of these two chosen poems. Poetic devices such as Imagery, Metaphor, Assonance, Consonance, and Repetition. Another notable comparison can be made about how both the poets have objectified the appearance of their lovers (or so as rumoured) and to the extent even, that they almost come off as obsessive about it. Sonnet 130 is a follows a typical Shakespearean sonnet complete with 14 lines, entailing 2 quatrains and one couplet in the end.

Lips and eyes also almost resembles a sonnet, however it is merely 10 lines long.

However these poems are essentially contradicting as Thomas Carew seems like he can’t help but contemplate about which of his lover’s features were more pleasant and it is written in trochaic pentameter whereas William Shakespeare confesses in spite of how dull his lovers appearances were, he continued to love her just the same and this is written in iambic pentameter.

Where he seems to wonder whether the eyes were more beautiful or the lips and which one of them nourished, provided and nurtured him with more love. Also it is worth remarking how the poet is in the form of an interior dialogue where both the lips and the eyes (Personified) are putting forward their fair arguments. On the other hand, the opening line of the sonnet

Within the opening lines of sonnet 130

‘My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;

Coral is far more red than her lips' red;’

William very firmly already establishes that his lover is no conventional beauty, she does not resemble features worth comparing to a thing of beauty. Rather he uses negation and comparison to portray how neither his love’s eyes have the usual bright spark and passion which supposedly makes a woman attractive neither does she have full red luscious lips which often excite and lure men.

“We,” said the eyes, “send forth those pointed darts which pierce the hardest adamantine hearts.”

Here poet attempts to depict how the eyes claim to be the most beautiful as it holds the ultimate power to sear through the toughest of hearts and mellow them down, just one glance is sufficient do the needful.

“From us,” repli'd the lips, “proceed those blisses which lovers reap by kind words and sweet kisses.”

Here one can observe how lips impersonate the most essential role of a lover, I is them who utters sweet words of love and comfort, and it is them who offer the most cherished pleasure of all, suggesting as to both intimate, personal and sexual pleasure.”

Throughout the sonnet Shakespeare compares his mistress to so many beautiful things and explains how his love is devoid of any such beauty, how she doesn’t have the most supple, perfect and fairest breast of all, how her hair aren’t voluminous or the fact that she doesn’t have desirable rosy cheeks, how there’s nothing pleasant about his mistress’ breath neither is her speech like music to the ears nor does she speak a little too well. He also asserts that there is absolutely no grandeur to her personality and posture and that she carries herself so very ordinarily.

If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;

If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.

I have seen roses damasked, red and white,

But no such roses see I in her cheeks;

And in some perfumes is there more delight

Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.

I love to hear her speak, yet well I know

That music hath a far more pleasing sound;

I grant I never saw a goddess go;

My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.’

The poem ends with the lines

“And bad Love judge, whether did add more grace

Weeping or smiling pearls to Celia's face.”

Which proposes the indecisiveness of the poet as he used personification, wherein he denotes Love as a judge (Thomas has capitalized L to indicate love here is a person) and then he goes ahead and transfers his reluctance and poor judging of Celia to Love.Shakespeare’s sonnet ends with the following couplet where he expresses his honest feelings irrespective of his observations and comparisons.

‘And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare

As any she belied with false compare.’

He states that in spite of his beloved’s failings to live up to the social, stereotypical standards she is still just as special to him as any woman about whom poets have lied about with false comparisons.