In Sonnet 54, the speaker, an older man, probably in his thirties or forties, addresses the younger man, a young man probably in his late adolescence or early twenties. In his speech to the young man, he affirms that the beauty and truth of the young man are like the perfume contained in a rose, and he affirms that these two qualities will be preserved forever in the poet's sonnet, in the same way as the The sweet scent of the rose is preserved forever in perfumes. The poet develops two key images throughout the sonnet; that of the rose and that of the canker blooms. Canker flowers are identified as wild roses or wild roses which do not have a sweet scent. These two flowers are compared and contrasted in terms of their appearance and scents; both the rose and the canker bloom are extremely beautiful. However, the rose is considered to be equally beautiful due to its sweet fragrance, while the canker flower is odorless and is not mourned when its flowers die. On the other hand, the scent of the rose is preserved in perfumes, and because of this, the rose is mourned and, more importantly, never forgotten. In addition to the imagery used in the sonnet, the tone of the LIV sonnet as a whole affects how the reader digests the sonnet and sets the mood. The tone of a poem is an important tool for a poet to consider when writing. It can help the reader understand the speaker, engage them emotionally, set the mood of the sonnet, and tell the reader how they feel while reading the poem. In William Shakespeare's Sonnet LIV, the tone of the speaker, an older man, is one of sincerity and passion. “But because virtue is their only spectacle, they live without courtesy and respect, they die, die to themselves” (Shakespeare, 9 years old) The speaker ex...... in the middle of paper ......the same goes for you divine and beautiful youth. When your beauty begins to fade, my poem will forever preserve your splendor for others to enjoy. Shakespeare used an extended metaphor to develop the theme of preserving the beauty of youth and the power of verse by comparing the true beauty of youth and to a rose. Shakespeare will capture truths in his sonnets; he does not just make sonnets that are superficially pleasant, but rather he will make sonnets containing eternal truths about higher things. True, inner beauty leaves a lasting impression. Works Cited Hylton, Jeremy. “Sonnet LIV.” Sonnet LIV. TheTech and Web. January 3, 2014. "Shakespeare's Sonnets by William Shakespeare Summary and Analysis Sonnet 54." Sonnet 54. HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT, nd Web. January 3, 2014. “Shakespeare’s Sonnets.” Shakespeare's Sonnets. Oxquarry Books Ltd, nd Web. January 3. 2014.