In sonnet 146, Shakespeare presents the battle between depth and surface in different ways. The theme and message of the poem consistently points to 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 representation of two conflicting forces lies a darker and deeper idea. There is not simply a difference between the outside and the inside of a person, but an inevitable discrepancy. There is the presence of failure on the one hand, which makes the battle unequal and creates frustration. The subtle characteristics of Shakespeare's language and attitude towards 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. In some moments, Shakespeare shows us just how this external mask of words fails to communicate the internal workings, which is the pure intent of the writer, the message of the soul. Shakespeare also betrays his frustration with form, which is essentially the corporeal form imposed on its meaning. Essentially the poem itself, in its inability to truly communicate, becomes another ongoing battle, another representation of a fragile surface that imprisons its very being. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The sonnet carefully examines the topic in terms of two spheres and clearly highlights the differences between them. A strong sense of surface versus depth is made clear right away. When Shakespeare opens his poem with “Poor soul, the center of my sinful land” (l.1), his purpose of distinction is achieved in several ways. By addressing his soul as a separate entity, he is already operating under the assumption that there is an essential depth that is its independent strength. The term "sinful earth" may be a whispered reminder of the earthly kingdom, always in opposition to the pure heavens. In addition to splitting himself in two, Shakespeare tells the reader who to root for. The description of his soul as “poor” immediately shows us where his preference lies. This cooing opening also instills compassion in the reader. We enter the poem feeling sorry for this abused interior. Even if his body is immediately made less worthy, he is on the attack and the victimized soul must learn to fight back. The second line, with “rebellious powers that [the soul] marshals” (l.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 his being, the speaker's soul is the victim of a continuous ambush. Within the first two lines of the poem an intense conflict has been established. Shakespeare continues to embellish this conflicted imagery, loading more and more meaning into his ideas and metaphors. The role of the outsider expands rapidly, transforming from a simple cage into a pitiful enemy. The body is not only a "sinful land" (l.1), but also its "outer walls", (l.4) its "decadent abode" (l.6) and finally the "servant" of its soul (l. .9). All the adjectives here subtly build a hierarchy. The existence of “external,” “vanishing,” and “servant” all refer to better states that remain nameless. The “external” requires an internal, just as the “servant” requires a master. The expression "fading" refers to the original, better state before deterioration. The soul is described by proxy. By characterizing the body in such a negative way, Shakespeare also creates its other half, better, too pure to benamed or described. There is not simply an endless 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 pine within and suffer famine? / Do you paint your outer walls so expensively and cheerfully?" (l.4). Here, the frustration of the soul solidifies. Not only is he poor, but he is also alone 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 "be nourished within," one must "be without no richer" (l.12), the reader may agree, having witnessed the impossible discrepancy between soul and body. His inner substance is in constant conflict with his feeble surface, and he must actually sacrifice one to aid the other. This is an intense and unfair battle taking place beneath the surface, just as poetry hides intense themes behind its skin of cold monetary references. The choice of terms involving trade and money is distinct, more obvious and frequent in the second quatrain. The central lines, the heart of a poem that addresses the soul and mortality, are occupied with 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", (ll8) all present in this quatrain. Here, Shakespeare treats the battle more as a financial topic, as he advises his soul in managing money. He asks "Why such a high cost, having such a short lease, / Spend on your declining mansion?" (ll.5-6). Once again the image of the victim soul returns, but here it is simply a bad deal that imprisons this force. This monetary metaphor was introduced in the first quatrain, which asked "Why do you pine within and suffer famine, / Painting your outer walls so expensively and cheerfully?" (ll.3-4). Here, the soul is depicted as suffering a loss to control the outward appearance. This is a situation that could be applied to the poet attempting to communicate his unique vision in the rigorous fourteen lines of a sonnet, with the limited capacity of the English language. The word "painting" (in the lines just quoted) signals this connection. 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 last lines of this sonnet distinctly bring mortality to the forefront of the poem. This is not a new topic at all. The reference to “so short a lease” (l.5) and the whimper “Will the worms, heirs of this excess, / devour your charge?” (l.7) has firmly planted in the second quatrain the memories of the body's only weakness. In the third quatrain, Shakespeare even recommends that his soul use this flaw, the mortality of its corporeal form, to triumph in the end. He suggests, in one of the moments when he converses directly with the soul, "Then, soul, live by the loss of thy servant, / And let that languor aggravate thy reserve" (ll.9-10). It would seem that the speaker has made his point, describing mortality as the ultimate fall of the body and, again, creating purity of the soul by indirectly giving it immortality. But the final couplet, with its disturbing sing-song symmetry, shows us a poet who does not feel he has explained himself adequately. 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 will be no more dead" (ll.13 -14). One can imagine Shakespeare throwing up his hands in frustration,.