Black and white image of a woman's face on black background, representing the woman described in Shakespeare's Sonnet 130.

Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130: A Rejection of Beauty Norms

Have you ever heard or read some beautiful yet problematic songs like “ye chaand sa roshan chehra, zulfon ka rang sunehra” (This moon-like radiant face, with hair the color of gold) and poems like “O my Luve is like a red, red rose”?  It might sound romantic but they are a little far-fetched. Can you…

Foreground sunflower with a background of a sunflower field, symbolizing the summer in William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 18".

The Power of Written Word: Sonnet 18 [Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?]

Sonnet 18 Summary Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? is about establishing the power of the written word over time. The speaker asserts the superiority of Fair Youth over a summer’s day. A summer’s day is beautiful and temperate but it is momentary.  He goes on to find the drawbacks of…

A silhouette of a man looking to his right side in front of a yellow oval, representing the introspective mood of Shakespeare's Sonnet 30

Introspecting Grief in Sonnet 30: When to the Sessions of Sweet Silent Thought

Sonnet 30 Summary “Sonnet 30: When to the sessions of sweet silent thought” by William Shakespeare is about the speaker’s introspective journey into his bygone days. The sonnet is one of the sonnets of the 154 sonnet sequence. When there is complete silence around the speaker, he recalls his memories and feels sad for several reasons. …

The Renaissance: A Time of Innovation, and Unbridled Creativity

The Renaissance: A Time of Innovation, and Unbridled Creativity

What does “Renaissance” mean? The word “Renaissance” literally means “rebirth” or “revival” in French, and it refers to a period of European history from the 14th to the 17th century characterized by a renewed interest in classical art, literature, and ideas. But the Renaissance was so much more than just a historical period – it…