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Abstract：Shakespeare is a master of language.His employment of rhythm，segmental poetic devices and rhymes correspond to the development and meaning of the sonnets.The poetic rhymes also helps to shape the images.Through analyzing the prosody of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 9 and 73，I developed new awareness of the poet’s craft.Shakespeare’s masterly employment of prosody makes the readers understand the meaning and the images better.
Key Words：rhythm，segmental poetic devices，rhyme，meaning，images
Part Ⅰ Introduction to Shakespeare’s Sonnet 9 and 73
Sonnet 9 is one of Shakespeare’s Reproduction Sonnets.The theme is that the speaker tries to persuade the listener to get married and to have children.In the sonnet，the speaker is the poet himself，and the listener is his friend.The poet expresses his concern for his friend.The poet gives sincere advice to his friend.But his friend seems stubborn.Then the poet is mad at him.Therefore，the tone changes from patient persuasion to angry blame.
In Sonnet 73，the poet uses three images to allude to his upcoming death.The whole atmosphere is sorrowful.By using these images，the speaker wants to tell the listener that his life is going to end.The theme is that the speaker tries to urge the listener to love him much stronger.
Part Ⅱ Prosody’s Role in Conveying Meaning
It is important to emphasize that prosody should never be separated from the content of a poem.Words count，and not only for their meaning，but also for their sounds and their contributions to a rhythmical flow.Thus，the study of prosody is an attempt to determine how poets have arranged the words of their poem to make sound complement content.（Roberts，Henry E.，1998：681）
2.1 The Analysis of Rhythm
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 9 is one of the typical Shakespearean sonnets.It has 14 lines.The form is iambic pentameter.However，the poet also uses some substitute feet in the poem.In the last two lines，besides iamb，there are other two-syllable feet，especially spondee.In my opinion，the poet uses spondee in order to emphasize his suggestions.Here the poet uses words like “bosom sits”，“such murderous”，“share commits” to express his angry.He blames that the listener doesn’t have love for others in his heart.And the fact he doesn’t have children in order to inherit his beauty is a shameless murder.Through the changing of sounds，the poet successfully changes the tone，which is from patient persuasion to angry blame.
The first eight lines used different words that contain /ai/ sound，including “eye” “life” “die” “wife” “private” “eyes”.Because the /ai/ sound sounds like sigh.By using /ai/ sound repeatedly，Shakespeare wants to show that the speaker feels regret for the listener，so he speaks with sighs.Here Shakespeare uses sound to help express his meaning. 2.2 The Analysis of Segmental Poetic Devices
Shakespeare uses alliteration in sonnet 9.In this sonnet，Shakespeare repeatedly uses the /w/ sound.For example，in line 4 and 5，
In these two lines，words like “world” “wail” “wife” “widow” “weep” contain the /w/ sound.The use of alliteration not only emphasizes these words，but also produce a woeful sound effect.Combined with the use of hyperbole，these words and the woeful sound effect successfully highlight the theme.What’s more，The /w/ sound is Euphony.The repeated /w/ sounds create an easy and smooth flow of spoken sound.
2.3 The Analysis of Rhyme
In Sonnet 9，Shakespeare employs masculine rhyme.In the sonnet，the last syllables of each line are stressed.In this way，the poet emphasizes his seriousness about his suggestion.The rhyme scheme is abab cdcd efef gg.The changing rhyme makes the poem sound rhythmical.
Part Ⅲ Prosody’s Role in Shaping Images
The construction of poetic rhymes plays an important role in presenting images.The poetic rhymes have critical significance for the understanding of images’ characteristics and meanings.With its auditory effects，the poetic rhymes help to present the visual effects of the images.
In Sonnet 73，the poet describes a sorrowful scene.He uses three images to allude to his upcoming death.The three images respectively are winter，sunset and dying fire.Each quatrain depicts one image.The three images are the crucial for conveying the theme.Therefore，the poet chose word carefully，in order to create suitable poetic rhymes.Sonnet 73 employs masculine rhyme.In the sonnet，the last syllables of each line are stressed，which helps to emphasize the depressed atmosphere.
In the first line and the third line，the final words are “hang” and “sang”.The melancholy /??/sound helps to describe the bleak scene of winter.
In the second quatrain，the poet uses words like “see’st” “such” “sunset” “west” “second” “self” “seals” to form alliteration.The repetition of the /s/ sound increases the musicality of the sonnet.However，it also foreshadows that after the sun goes down，death will come.
In the third quatrain，the poet uses words “lie” and “by” at the end of the eleventh line and the thirteenth line.The long vowel /ai/ gives people a tired feeling and a presentiment that life is going to end.And the word “expire” is a pun.In the sonnet，the poet uses the word “expire” to describe the scene that the fire is extinguishing.But he alludes to the fact that he is going to die.
Part IV Conclusion
Shakespeare is a master of language.It’s worth mentioning that in Shakespeare’s sonnets，every word and every rhyme is significant to the sonnets’ structure and content.In his sonnets，all words are chosen carefully，in order to make the sonnets sound rhythmical.And his skillfully arrangement of rhythm，segmental poetic devices and rhyme contributes to the readers’ understanding of his meaning and the images.
Works Cited
[1]Roberts，Edgar V.，and Henry E.Jacobs.Literature：An Introduction to Reading and Writing[M].Englewood Cliffs，New Jersey：Prentice Hall，1998.
[2]Shakespeare，W.，李明強译注，《莎士比亚十四行诗》[M]，云南大学出版社，2008.
[3]陈媛媛，《中英诗歌的美学比读——韵律与意象关联视角》[J]，海外英语，2014，159-161.
[4]卢秋平，《头韵及夸张在莎士比亚十四行诗中的运用》[J]，名作欣赏，2015，69-71.
[5]张兰珍，苗秀楼，《英文诗歌韵律浅谈》[J]，江苏教育学院学报，2001，79-81.
（作者单位：云南大学）
Key Words：rhythm，segmental poetic devices，rhyme，meaning，images
Part Ⅰ Introduction to Shakespeare’s Sonnet 9 and 73
Sonnet 9 is one of Shakespeare’s Reproduction Sonnets.The theme is that the speaker tries to persuade the listener to get married and to have children.In the sonnet，the speaker is the poet himself，and the listener is his friend.The poet expresses his concern for his friend.The poet gives sincere advice to his friend.But his friend seems stubborn.Then the poet is mad at him.Therefore，the tone changes from patient persuasion to angry blame.
In Sonnet 73，the poet uses three images to allude to his upcoming death.The whole atmosphere is sorrowful.By using these images，the speaker wants to tell the listener that his life is going to end.The theme is that the speaker tries to urge the listener to love him much stronger.
Part Ⅱ Prosody’s Role in Conveying Meaning
It is important to emphasize that prosody should never be separated from the content of a poem.Words count，and not only for their meaning，but also for their sounds and their contributions to a rhythmical flow.Thus，the study of prosody is an attempt to determine how poets have arranged the words of their poem to make sound complement content.（Roberts，Henry E.，1998：681）
2.1 The Analysis of Rhythm
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 9 is one of the typical Shakespearean sonnets.It has 14 lines.The form is iambic pentameter.However，the poet also uses some substitute feet in the poem.In the last two lines，besides iamb，there are other two-syllable feet，especially spondee.In my opinion，the poet uses spondee in order to emphasize his suggestions.Here the poet uses words like “bosom sits”，“such murderous”，“share commits” to express his angry.He blames that the listener doesn’t have love for others in his heart.And the fact he doesn’t have children in order to inherit his beauty is a shameless murder.Through the changing of sounds，the poet successfully changes the tone，which is from patient persuasion to angry blame.
The first eight lines used different words that contain /ai/ sound，including “eye” “life” “die” “wife” “private” “eyes”.Because the /ai/ sound sounds like sigh.By using /ai/ sound repeatedly，Shakespeare wants to show that the speaker feels regret for the listener，so he speaks with sighs.Here Shakespeare uses sound to help express his meaning. 2.2 The Analysis of Segmental Poetic Devices
Shakespeare uses alliteration in sonnet 9.In this sonnet，Shakespeare repeatedly uses the /w/ sound.For example，in line 4 and 5，
In these two lines，words like “world” “wail” “wife” “widow” “weep” contain the /w/ sound.The use of alliteration not only emphasizes these words，but also produce a woeful sound effect.Combined with the use of hyperbole，these words and the woeful sound effect successfully highlight the theme.What’s more，The /w/ sound is Euphony.The repeated /w/ sounds create an easy and smooth flow of spoken sound.
2.3 The Analysis of Rhyme
In Sonnet 9，Shakespeare employs masculine rhyme.In the sonnet，the last syllables of each line are stressed.In this way，the poet emphasizes his seriousness about his suggestion.The rhyme scheme is abab cdcd efef gg.The changing rhyme makes the poem sound rhythmical.
Part Ⅲ Prosody’s Role in Shaping Images
The construction of poetic rhymes plays an important role in presenting images.The poetic rhymes have critical significance for the understanding of images’ characteristics and meanings.With its auditory effects，the poetic rhymes help to present the visual effects of the images.
In Sonnet 73，the poet describes a sorrowful scene.He uses three images to allude to his upcoming death.The three images respectively are winter，sunset and dying fire.Each quatrain depicts one image.The three images are the crucial for conveying the theme.Therefore，the poet chose word carefully，in order to create suitable poetic rhymes.Sonnet 73 employs masculine rhyme.In the sonnet，the last syllables of each line are stressed，which helps to emphasize the depressed atmosphere.
In the first line and the third line，the final words are “hang” and “sang”.The melancholy /??/sound helps to describe the bleak scene of winter.
In the second quatrain，the poet uses words like “see’st” “such” “sunset” “west” “second” “self” “seals” to form alliteration.The repetition of the /s/ sound increases the musicality of the sonnet.However，it also foreshadows that after the sun goes down，death will come.
In the third quatrain，the poet uses words “lie” and “by” at the end of the eleventh line and the thirteenth line.The long vowel /ai/ gives people a tired feeling and a presentiment that life is going to end.And the word “expire” is a pun.In the sonnet，the poet uses the word “expire” to describe the scene that the fire is extinguishing.But he alludes to the fact that he is going to die.
Part IV Conclusion
Shakespeare is a master of language.It’s worth mentioning that in Shakespeare’s sonnets，every word and every rhyme is significant to the sonnets’ structure and content.In his sonnets，all words are chosen carefully，in order to make the sonnets sound rhythmical.And his skillfully arrangement of rhythm，segmental poetic devices and rhyme contributes to the readers’ understanding of his meaning and the images.
Works Cited
[1]Roberts，Edgar V.，and Henry E.Jacobs.Literature：An Introduction to Reading and Writing[M].Englewood Cliffs，New Jersey：Prentice Hall，1998.
[2]Shakespeare，W.，李明強译注，《莎士比亚十四行诗》[M]，云南大学出版社，2008.
[3]陈媛媛，《中英诗歌的美学比读——韵律与意象关联视角》[J]，海外英语，2014，159-161.
[4]卢秋平，《头韵及夸张在莎士比亚十四行诗中的运用》[J]，名作欣赏，2015，69-71.
[5]张兰珍，苗秀楼，《英文诗歌韵律浅谈》[J]，江苏教育学院学报，2001，79-81.
（作者单位：云南大学）