Marine metaphors of time in W. Shakespeare’s sonnets

Drawing on William Shakespeare’s sonnets, the authors focus on metaphoric conceptualization of time by means of sea imagery. Examining linguistic realizations of marine metaphors in Sonnets LX and LXV, we claim that the “sea” conceptual domain constitutes a rich source of expressive and evaluative inferences for the target domain of time. It is demonstrated that marine metaphors show varying potential as to structuring a poetic text. In Sonnet LX the MINUTES ARE WAVES conceptual scheme builds up an independent motif that is elaborated on in detail in the first quatrain. In Sonnet LXV the TIME IS A RAGING SEA metaphor constitutes a subordinate “background” theme within a broad picture of time as a formidable force that is formed by two overlapping personifying metaphors - TIME IS AN ENEMY, TIME IS A THIEF. A conclusion is drawn that marine metaphors in both sonnets, though markedly different in the degree of their conceptual and linguistic refinement, make explicit one common ethical and axiological premise: overwhelming temporality of earthly existence, symbolically represented by “sea” metaphors, can be eventually overcome by the atemporal power of the God given creative spirit that enables the poet to “break through to eternity” (Nikolai Berdyaev).