Comparative Essay Sample: Tonight I Can Write by Pablo Neruda and Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare

Poetry has been used for centuries to convey emotions. Many of the greatest poets, past and present, have used their writing to describe one of the strongest emotions known to man, love. Shakespeare wrote about it during the early 17th century, while Neruda wrote a little more recently about love in the 20th century. Both of these great poets have lived during different times and have had different life experiences, yet they still used poetry to convey the power of love. Though different in plot, “Tonight I Can Write” by Pablo Neruda and “Sonnet 130” by William Shakespeare both teach the theme of the power of love to transform an individual.

William Shakespeare is often regarded as one of the greatest poets to have ever lived. Though not the only thing he wrote about, his sonnets often revolved around love and beauty. In Sonnet 130, Shakespeare starts by being exceptionally cruel to his mistress, saying her eyes are nothing like the sun. “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” (Shakespeare, line 1). For most of the poem, he continues ridiculing his mistress, comparing her hair to black wires and calling her lips not red enough. However, at the end of the poem, he admits that he still has a deep love for her, despite her imperfections. “And yet by heaven I think my love as rare, / As any she belied with false compare” (Shakespeare lines 13-14). The irony of Shakespeare’s writing is how his love for his mistress transforms him, despite his criticism of her, which leads to an unexpected yet oddly touching conclusion for the reader.

Pablo Neruda's most famous piece of work is his 100 Love Sonnets. His most famous poem is a twist on love called "Tonight I can write the saddest lines." Accurate to the first line, Neruda writes about how the absence of love has affected him. He uses specific words in his writing to set a cold tone. "Tonight I can write the saddest lines / Write, for example, 'The night is shattered / and the blue stars shiver in the distance' (Neruda, lines 1-3). Neruda reminisces over the women he used to love, reflecting over the past and comparing it to the future. The largest giveaway to how he is feeling is towards the end of the poem where he states that he is no longer satisfied without her. "Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms / my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her (Neruda, lines 29-30). Neruda is disappointed with his life with the absence of his women, which is a clear example of how love can change someone's life.

Shakespeare and Neruda both used poetries to show how love has personally affected and transformed them.  Their impact on literature has influenced many and will continue to. Despite both living in different time periods, their writing proves how love can affect an individual, in either a positive or negative light.