The first few lines in the sonnet begin with the speaker lamenting his condition and “cursing his fate”. Shakespeare’s words are extremely critical and skillfully chosen in these lines in order to help his readers identify strongly with the speaker’s narrative. For example, the simple phrase “I, all alone” employs several literary devices to show just how desolate the speaker feels. The alliteration helps the line to flow smoothly, while the use of the adjective “all” to emphasize the word “alone” shows how the speaker wishes to accentuate his lonely state. Lastly, the use of the singular pronoun of “I” before the phrase as opposed to simply starting off the line with “All alone” emphasizes the loneliness of the situation even further. The tone within these lines is self-pitying, lonely, desperate and overall indicative of a completely pessimistic outlook on the speaker’s part. However, the tone then shifts from depressed to envious within the next few lines, in which the speaker begins to compare himself to those around him, those with handsome features, many friends, art, greater talent etc. and he starts to find himself no longer content with what he used to enjoy. The tone once again shifts within the next quatrain, when a thought occurs to the speaker that begins to lift his spirits. He goes on to end the poem on a hopeful and content note, stating that the thought of his love makes him unwilling to change places even with kings. The way Shakespeare allows the poem to unfold to the reader makes a profound impact, as the audience is given the opportunity to experience the emotions the narrator is experiencing through Shakespeare’s choice of words; they empathize with the initial desolation and the envy of the narrator, then feel their own spirits lifted with the pleasant surprise of hope that follows the volta, leaving them with a sense of fulfillment and gratification.>