In sonnet 146, Shakespeare presents the battle between depth and surface in different ways. The theme and message of the poem consistently emphasize a contradictory and difficult relationship between the inner and outer realms of a human being. Soul versus body is the most obvious manifestation of this theme. But beyond this literal depiction of two opposing forces lies a darker, deeper idea. There is not simply a difference between the outside and the inside of a person, but an inevitable gap. There is the presence of failure on one side, which makes the battle unequal and creates frustration. Subtle features of Shakespeare's language and attitude toward form paint a clear picture of this failure for the reader. In the language of the poem, the use of cold monetary references creates a parallel battle. At times, Shakespeare shows us how this outer mask of words fails to communicate the workings of the inside, which is the pure intention of the writer, the message of the soul. Shakespeare also betrays his frustration with form, which is essentially the bodily form imposed on his meaning. Essentially, the poem itself, in its inability to truly communicate, becomes another ongoing battle, another representation of a fragile surface imprisoning one's own being. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayThe sonnet carefully examines its subject in terms of two spheres and clearly marks the differences between them. A strong sense of surface versus depth is immediately felt. When Shakespeare opens his poem with “Poor soul, center of my sinful earth” (1.1), his goal of distinction is achieved in several ways. By addressing his soul as a separate entity, he already operates under the assumption that there is an essential depth which is his own independent force. The term “sinful land” could be a whispered reminder of the earthly realm, always opposed to the pure heavens. Beyond dividing himself in two, Shakespeare tells the reader who to encourage. The description of his soul as “poor” immediately shows us where his preference lies. This cooing opening also inspires compassion in the reader. We enter the poem feeling sorry for this mistreated interior. Even though his body is immediately made less worthy, it goes on the offensive and the victimized soul must learn to fight back. The second line, with “the rebellious powers that [the soul] displays” (1.2) even goes so far as to place Shakespeare's entire being in a state of perpetual war. Despite its crucial role as the "center" of one's being, the soul of the speaker is the victim of a constant ambush. In the first two lines of the poem, an intense conflict is established. Shakespeare continues to embellish this imagery of conflict, giving more and more meaning to his ideas and metaphors. The role of the outsider quickly expands from a simple cage to a pitiful enemy. The body is not only a “sinful earth” (l.1), but also its “outer walls” (l.4), its “faded abode” (l.6) and finally the “servant” of its soul (l. 9). All the adjectives here subtly construct a hierarchy. The existence of “outside,” “disappearance,” and “servant” all refer to better states that remain unnamed. “Outside” requires an inside, just as “servant” requires a master. The term “discoloration” refers to the original, better condition before deterioration. The soul is described vicariously. By characterizing the body in such a negative way, Shakespeare createsalso its other, better half, too pure to name or describe. It is not simply a never-ending battle between good and evil, but the unjust imprisonment of the most worthy force in an inadequate form. There is a discrepancy here. The first quatrain explains this in its last two lines: “Why do you languish inwardly and suffer from scarcity?/Paint your exterior walls so costly and cheerful? (l.4). Here the frustration of the soul solidifies. He is not only poor but lonely and in a state of suffering. And this suffering is hidden from the outside world, which is a horrible state of frustration. When Shakespeare concludes that to "feed from within" one must "no longer be rich without" (1.12), the reader may agree, having witnessed the impossible disconnect between soul and body . His inner substance is constantly at odds with his weak surface, and he must in fact sacrifice one to help the other. This is an intense and unfair battle going on beneath the surface, just as the poem has intense themes beneath its skin of cold monetary references. The choice of terms involving commerce and money is distinct, most obvious and most frequent in the second quatrain. The central lines, the heart of a poem dealing with the soul and mortality, are occupied by petty allusions to profit and loss. A reader cannot ignore the connection between the words “cost”, (l.5) “lease”, (l.5) “spend”, (l.6) “heirs”, (l.7) “charge” ( l.7). l.8) which we all find in this quatrain. Here, Shakespeare treats the battle as more of a financial argument, as he puts his soul into the service of money management. He asks "Why so high a cost, with such a short lease, / Do you spend on your faded mansion?" (ll.5-6). Here again, the image of the victim soul returns, but here, it is simply bad business that imprisons this force. This monetary metaphor was introduced in the first quatrain, which asked "Why do you languish within and suffer scarcity, / Painting your outer walls so costly?" » (ll.3-4). Here the soul is represented as suffering loss to control the appearance of the outside. This is a situation that could apply to the poet attempting to communicate his unique vision in the strict fourteen lines of a sonnet, with the limited capacity of the English language. The word “painting” (in the lines we have just cited) signals this link. The end of the poem, with its strange couplet, is another moment where Shakespeare expresses his frustration with the concept of beautifying the exterior. The final lines of this sonnet clearly bring mortality to the forefront of the poem. This is by no means a new theme. The reference to “so short a lease” (1.5) and the groans “Will the worms, heirs of this excess,/Shall they eat your load?” (l.7) firmly implanted reminders of the body's unique weakness in the second quatrain. In the third quatrain, Shakespeare even recommends that his soul use this defect, the mortality of his bodily form, to ultimately triumph. He suggests, in one of the moments where he converses directly with the soul, "So, soul, live on the loss of thy servant,/And let this aggravate thy stock" (ll.9-10). It would seem that the speaker has made his point, making mortality appear to be the ultimate downfall of the body and, once again, creating purity in the soul by indirectly granting it immortality. But the final verse, with its strange singing symmetry, shows us a poet who does not feel he has explained sufficiently. Suddenly, the reader is struck by the word "Death", repeated four times: "So you will feed on Death, who feeds on men,/And Death once dead, there is no more death" (ll .13-14). We.