A Brief Analysis of the Sonnet 12 by Shakespeare in terms of Metaphor

【Abstract】In the Sonnet 12 by Shakespeare， metaphors are used many times， but the source domains of those metaphors are not very clear so that readers have to make an analysis about it. The one in source domain often share some characteristics with the one in target domain and that is why readers can find source domain from the analysis of target domain.

【Key words】metaphor； the Sonnet 12 by Shakespeare； characteristic； source domain； target domain

【作者简介】赵方秋（1990-），女，陕西西安人，汉族，毕业于西安外国语大学研究生院2013级外国语言学及应用语言学专业，研究方向：翻译及翻译研究。

When I do count the clock that tells the time， And see the brave day sunk in hideous night； When I behold the violet past prime， And sable curls are silver‘d oer with white；

When lofty trees I see barren of leaves， Which erst from heat did canopy the herd， And summers green， all girded up in sheaves， Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard； Then thou among the wastes of time must go， Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake，And die as fast as they see other grow， And nothing‘gainst Times scythe can make defence， Save breed， to brave him when he takes thee hence.

當我数着钟表指出的时刻，看到晴朗的白昼没入可憎的夜；当我注视着紫罗兰失去了丽色，青春鬈发都变作银丝白雪。当我看到参天大树叶尽脱，不久前它还曾荫庇过牛羊群伙，夏季碧绿的禾苗都打捆成摞，戴着坚挺的白须被装上运粮车于是我思虑到你的俊美资质，最终也得走进时间的荒漠。因为芳香和艳丽总把自己浪掷，眼看着别人发育，自己却要凋落。谁人能把时间的镰刀提防，除非生儿育女在你死后与它争抗。

1.the brave day sunk in hideous night

this sentence doesnt use simile to describe the authors view so we have to make an analysis about the information we got from it first. I put these information into two parts.

Part 1 ：

Day is brave.

Day is a bright ， beautiful thing.

Night is hideous.

Night is a frightful thing.

Part 2：

The brave day is one heavy thing that can sink into water.

The hideous night is sea.

Then， I made an analysis in terms of metaphor for this sentence.

Part 1 ：

Target domain day

Source domain a bright， beautiful thing

Target domain night

Source domain a frightful thing

Day is lively， bright and hopeful for people； night is horrible， mystery， even devil.

Part 2：

Target domain the brave day

Source domain one thing that can sink into water

Target domain hideous night

Source domain sea

Day comes dark slowly and light disappears gradually.

One thing sinks into water slowly and is swallowed by water gradually.

2. And sable curls are silver‘d oer with white

Hair turns white by itself， but author uses passive voice here. I think he means that it is time that has silvered sable curls with white and there is a use of personification， that is， time is a person who can silvers ones hair.

Target domain time

Source domain a person who can silvers ones hair

3. When lofty trees I see barren of leaves，Which erst from heat did canopy the herd

Here is a use of personification again. Trees is viewed as a people who uses something ， maybe is trees canopy， to canopies the herd.

Target domain trees

Source domain a person who uses something to canopies the herd

4. And summers green， all girded up in sheaves

Target domain growing crop

Source domain summers green

Growing crop is green in summer， so the author uses summers green to represent those growing crop.

5. Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake，

And die as fast as they see other grow

Target domain sweets and beauties

Source domain beautiful women

Personification again. Sweets and beauties refer to women. It is those beautiful women， instead of those abstract things， who grow old and lose their beauty and sweet.

Target domain forsake， die

Source domain get old

Target domain grow

Source domain get beautiful

6. And nothing ‘gainst Times scythe can make defence，

Save breed， to brave him when he takes thee hence

There are two underlying metaphors included in this sentence， that is， experience is scythe； time is a people who can use scythe.

For the first metaphor， experience can make people throw something and become more mature， while scythe can cut things and it specifies the characters of an abstract thing， that is ， experience.

Target domain experience

Source domain scythe

For the second metaphor， here goes personification again. Time is viewed as a people who takes scythe to attract others so that people have to prepare to defend him.

Target domain time

Source domain a people who can use scythe

We can see that in this poem， metaphors are used many times， but the source domains of those metaphors are not very clear so that we have to make an analysis about it. The one in source domain often share some characteristics with the one in target domain and that is why we can find source domain from the analysis of target domain.

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