sonnet is a 14 lines poem written iambic pentameter.

there are different kinds of

sonnets in literature, like the Italian or Petrarchan sonnets Shakespearean
sonnets, Miltonic sonnets, spenserean sonnets, etc. but among all of these
sonnets, Shakespearean sonnets are one of the most popular forms in literature.

Before we begin I would like to mention some points about the Shakespearean
sonnet. There are total a number of 154 sonnets written by Shakespeare and all
these sonnets are published in a Quarto in 1609. These sonnets are mainly
divided into two parts. 1) From Sonnets 1-126 is dedicated to his friend WH or
earl of Southampton and sonnet 127- 152 are addressed to a dark lady. This
sonnet pattern consists of 3 quatrains and a couplet following the rhyme scheme
of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.

For today's discussion session, we would like to take Shakespearean sonnet no 20

as our topic. this sonnet is a Part of the Fair Youth sequence (which comprises
sonnets 1-126).

The poet begins the sonnet by addressing his beloved friend; says that he
possesses the face and features of a woman and that Nature had painted those
features with her own hands. The fair young friend is the object of the poet’s
desire. The heart of the friend is soft like that of a woman. Yet, the friend is not
familiar with the nature of many women. The eyes of this fair young friend are
brighter than those of these faithless females. These eyes of the youth also seem
to be more genuine than the roving eyes of adventurous, pleasure-seeking
women who cast their eyes on one man and then the next. Unlike the eyes of
these fickle-minded women, the eyes of the fair youth cast a golden color on
whomsoever the poet's beloved chooses to look at. In form, the fair youth is a
man; yet, he has been blessed with the best features of both men and women. He
is so good-looking that men cannot help but admire his physical form from a
distance. Even women get totally charmed by his looks. No doubt, the young man
was created as a woman at first. However, Nature herself began to adore him a
lot; and this was the reason why Nature decided to make him a man. Nature
added the male sexual organ to his body, thereby depriving the poet Shakespeare
of the chance to love him as one would love a woman. The addition of male
sexuality in the friend made the poet’s desires fruitless.

However, on a winding note the poet observes that since Nature created the fair
youth for the enjoyment of womenfolk, the poet himself would be contented by
loving his male friend as one who would admire a good-looking male from a
distance. It is for the women to experience the pleasures of being loved by a
sexually alluring person like the fair young man.