The poem "The master and the slave go hand in hand" by Edwin Arlington Robinson is an Italian Sonnet demonstrating the power of the sonnet. The title itself enhances the theme of the poem by examining the ultimate use of power between the master and the slave. The theme of the poem is expressing the power and importance of writing the perfect sonnet over the poet. This is developed through the references to the imperial power of a master over a slave, and the literary devices used.

An ultimate use of power is shown through the relationship between a master and his slave. A master is nothing without his slave, and similarly a slave is insignificant without his master as we understand the two "go hand in hand"(1). Using the term "But"(5), the poem shifts and introduces the relationship between the poet as a slave to the sonnet...