Joseph Melanson
Shakespeare
Prof. Tryon
30 August 2012
Shakespeare Sonnet
Assignment
I).
Analysis of Sonnets.
1). SONNET 15
“When I consider every thing that grows Holds in perfection but a little moment,
That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows
Whereon the stars in secret influence comment;
When I perceive that men as plants increase,
Cheered and cheque'd even by the self-same sky,
Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease,
And wear their brave state out of memory;
Then the conceit of this inconstant stay
Sets you most rich in youth before my sight,
Where wasteful Time debateth with Decay,
To change your day of youth to sullied night;
And all in war with Time for love of you,
As he takes from you, I engraft you new” .
1). What is your general impression
of what the sonnet is about?
This sonnet is about how everything that lives eventually
grows old and dies.
2). Who is speaking? To whom?
The text says that the sonnet is directed from Shakespeare
to another man, but I don’t see how it can be determined, on the face of it, whether or not
it is directed at a man, or a woman, or anyone in particular. It could still have been an
imaginary and unformed character in Shakespeare’s mind.
3). Is there a dominant image, or a
variety of imagery?
The dominant images are of the natural world: vegetation
(“everything that grows” (15,1) , “plants” (15,5), “sap” (15,7); the heavens
(“stars” (15, 4), “sky” (15,6); and images and measures of Time (“youth” (15,10), “memory” (15,8), “night”
(15,12), “decay” (15,11) (Shakespeare 22).
4). Which words, phrases or lines
appeal to you the most?
“Whereon the stars in secret influence comment” (15.4). I
like how it infers an outside influence on the events of our lives.
5). What is the sonnet’s tone or
mood?
Sentimental, nostalgic.
6). Is there a ‘turn’ (where the
mood or meaning changes)?
7). Which words or lines do you find
difficult?
“Presenteth”, “debateth”. I know what they mean on the face
of them. It makes it seem as if you could get away with, in Shakespeare’s time
anyway, with adding “eth” to words and they are still valid, while adding
another syllable as needed.
8). Read the guidance provided with
each sonnet page, then attempt the activity
suggested.
b). Create a title for the sonnet.
The Rebirth of Youth
2).
SONNET 29
“When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,I all alone beweep my outcast state
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possess'd,
Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;
For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings”.
1). What is your general impression
of what the sonnet is about?
The sonnet seems to me to be about jealousy, or envy, at
other people’s more handsome features, and/or talents.
2). Who is speaking? To whom?
The text says the sonnet is directed by Shakespeare towards
a male friend, but it does not appear to me to be definitively directed toward anyone in
particular, whether man or woman.
3). Is there a dominant image, or a
variety of imagery?
4). Which words, phrases or lines
appeal to you the most?
“And trouble deaf heaven with bootless cries” (29,3).
Bootless means useless according to the text, I would not have come to that
conclusion on my own.
“Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope” (29,7). It
sounds good and flows.
“Like to the lark at break if day arising” From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate” (29,
11-12). I like the imagery of it.
5).What is the sonnet’s tone or
mood?
Melancholy, despair.
6). Is there a ‘turn’ (where the
mood or meaning changes)?
The turn seems to occur in line, “Yet in these thoughts
myself almost despising” (29, 9). Shakespeare seems to chastise himself for these feelings.
7). Which words or lines do you find
difficult?
“Haply” was a word I found difficult to interpret on my own,
Gibson defines the word as “Fortuneately, by chance” which I have to take his word for
it (38).
8). Read the guidance provided with
each sonnet page, then attempt the activity suggested.
b). There is much uncertainty about
line 8. What was it that Shakespeare most enjoyed but which now gives him
little pleasure: his acting? His writing? Whatever it was, do you feel that the
line expresses a familiar experience of a depressed person?
“With what I most enjoy contented least;” (38). There is no
discerning whether it is his “acting”, or his “writing” as Gibson offers, it could be
anything, it could be the fact of life that everything becomes old and tired eventually, a going
through the motions after one does something long enough, no matter how much joy or
pleasure it offered in the beginning. The line does suggest the “experience of a
depressed person” as Gibson suggests.
SONNET 144
“Two loves I have of comfort and despair,
Which like two spirits do suggest me still:
The better angel is a man right fair,
The worser spirit a woman colour'd ill.
To win me soon to hell, my female evil
Tempteth my better angel from my side,
And would corrupt my saint to be a devil,
Wooing his purity with her foul pride.
And whether that my angel be turn'd fiend
Suspect I may, but not directly tell;
But being both from me, both to each friend,
Which like two spirits do suggest me still:
The better angel is a man right fair,
The worser spirit a woman colour'd ill.
To win me soon to hell, my female evil
Tempteth my better angel from my side,
And would corrupt my saint to be a devil,
Wooing his purity with her foul pride.
And whether that my angel be turn'd fiend
Suspect I may, but not directly tell;
But being both from me, both to each friend,
I guess one angel in another's hell:
Yet this shall I ne'er know, but live in doubt,
Till my bad angel fire my good one out”.
Yet this shall I ne'er know, but live in doubt,
Till my bad angel fire my good one out”.
1). What is your general impression
of what the sonnet is about?
The sonnet appears to be about conflicted emotions, the
battle of good and evil that one fights in oneself.
2). Who is speaking? To whom?
Shakespeare is speaking to himself.
3). Is there a dominant image, or a
variety of imagery?
There are references to the afterlife, heaven and hell
(“angel” (144,3,6,9,12,14) “spirits” (144,2,4), religion (“saint” (144,7), cleanliness (“purity”
(144,8), “corrupt” (144,7), human emotions (“comfort” (144,1) “despair (144,1), “pride” (144,8).
4). Which words, phrases or lines
appeal to you the most?
“Two loves I have of comfort and despair” (144,1) “I guess
one angel in another’s hell” (144,12). I like the contrasts of both, especially the
imagery in the second.
5). What is the sonnet’s tone or
mood?
The mood of the sonnet seems dark, gloomy, and sad.
6). Is there a ‘turn’ (where the
mood or meaning changes)?
No, it seems that the theme continues throughout, at the end
Shakespeare is still in doubt.
7). Which words or lines do you find
difficult?
None
8). Read the guidance provided with
each sonnet page, then attempt the activity suggested.
b). Create a title for the sonnet.
Two Spirits, or The Spirits Intertwine.
II). My Original Sonnet.
1).When light of youth wanes upon
its shadow
2). And thy sweet dreams depart
thy mind in flight
3). When thy blood no longer flows
in marrow
4). Whose star is seen in our
heavens less bright
5). A shell no longer gilded cage
thy ghost
6). The inevitable dissolve a
cruel blow
7). This earth our stage no longer
serves as our host
8). As we depart the world to
leaving woe
9). Our curtain closes all things
find darkness
10). As the old hears another
baby’s cry
11). Find your peace on earth or
find thy madness
12). To make sure the truth of our
life is no lie
13). We emerge hot into cold world
from womb
14). To lose our heat forever to
haunt a cold tomb
III). My Process.
I bought grid paper in which I
would create my lines. I figured grid paper would help me keep track of lines, words, and better help me keep
track of my syllable count. I made a list of words that stood out as having a common
usage, and power of imagery. I created rhyming words to go along with my selected words,
and decided upon the best pairs. I started with a loose idea about what a sonnet was
and began to compose some loose lines, expecting to fine tune the sentences later. The
fine tuning began after I had decided on the best idea of both my sentence structure and
overall story I wanted to tell. The only struggles that I had were with coming up with
ideas, necessitating dropping or changing words to maintain my syllable count while having to
overlook proper grammar. I also could not figure out how to make a turn that seemed
to make a difference, or change the outcome. In all, I think I would find it a lot
easier to master this method with practice.
Works Cited:
Shakespeare, William. The
Sonnets. Ed. Rex Gibson. Cambridge
University Press: Cambridge. 1996. Print.
No comments:
Post a Comment