Great Gatsby and Ebb Sonnets

Q: What do these texts convey about their societies?
A: Themes regarding love through different language devices and reflecting different contexts.

Sonnet 14 conveys that individuals should aspire to marry for love only, reflecting changing Victorian values regarding marriage. The persona’s opening octave, “If thou must love me, let it be for nought/Except for love’s sake only.” creates a commanding poetic voice, suggesting that the persona wants to only be loved for the sake of love, not other reasons. Second person, “thou,” refers to her personal context of her impending marriage to Robert Browning, creating an emotive, realistic and a personable voice. This sonnet is a response to her love of Browning, six years her junior, whilst keeping herself in isolation. She was doubtful of his love for her, reflecting her thoughts on marriage, as her father will disinherit her if she marries, so she wants to be loved on the basis of her personality, not her wealth. The sibilance, “loves sake” creates smooth, romantic flowing rhythm in her voice. It is emotive and the tone is gentle as the words merge, emphasising the need for love to be connected to marriage in her octave which, keeping with tradition, expresses her doubt about her lover’s desire for her. Therefore, her distinctively personal voice illustrates her desire to be loved only for the sake of love, rather than other external motivations. Sonnet 14 emphasises that love should be eternal, not just for life, reflecting Romantic composers’ ideas regarding the endurance of love. She encourages Browning, “love me for love’s sake, that evermore/Thou may’st love on” (L 13-14) in her sestet, utilising the traditional Petrarchan sonnet to propose a solution to their love. The repetition, “love me for love’s sake” conveys she only wants to be loved for her self, because that is the only love that will last. Here, love is reflected as the Romantics wrote about spiritual love in which   they explored feeling and emotion,...