The Definition of Form

Form plays a significant role in poetry because if the form of a poem is changed, then so can its meaning. In other words, if a section of a poem is translated into modern day English and written in prose, then the meaning and essence of the original poem would be lost. William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 73," for example, can be interpreted differently if its form is changed. The original version of the second quatrain states, "In me though see'st the twilight of such day / As after sunset fadeth in the west, / Which by-and-by black night doth take away, / Death's second self that seals up all in rest" (5-8). If this quatrain is paraphrased, translated into modern day English, and written in prose, however, it can change into the following: "In me you see the light that remains after the sun sets in the west, which eventually fades into the darkness of the night. Another form of death everyone experiences is through sleep." After the second quatrain is paraphrased, it appears more straightforward and simple in its meaning. Thus, it can be easily understood. By doing so, however, the essence of the original version of this quatrain is lost. Words that were originally used for a purpose were replaced by words who conveyed a similar meaning but no longer do the poem justice. The word "twilight," for example, has the word "light" inside. Thus, it illustrates how light is only a part of the sky that is setting. If the poem simply uses "light," then the imagery would be different. Instead, the reader could imagine a bright light emitting from the sun before he reads on only to find out that the sun is beginning to set. Moreover the "black night" is a deep contrast compared to the "darkness of the night." By using the color "black," Shakespeare is able to also convey that the night is so dark that is seems black. Simultaneously, he can also use this color to represent death. If Shakespeare simply illustrates the night by how the sunset eventually fades into the darkness, then the reader would only see how the sky slowly darkens. And by saying how rest is "Death's second self," Shakespear implies that sleep is another form of death. Stating it this way, however, allows Shakespeare to use alliteration and to prolong the imagery of death to the reader. In addition, by using the word "seal" instead of "experience" gives the reader a sense that people are forced to sleep rather than choosing to rest because they are tired. In relation to the rest of the sonnet, this quatrain illustrates how Shakespeare is comparing his dying self to a day that is beginning to end, and as the night ends he shall retire for the day and sleep, perhaps even forever. Thus, this is the quatrain that reveals the poet's current condition and how he is about to leave the world and his lover through death.