1. Sonnet Text Work
By Larry Gleason
Sonnet text work. By Larry Gleason

2. Sonnet XXIX -- 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 possessed,
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 rememb’red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
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 possessed,
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 rememb’red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

3. When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
You may need several copies of the sonnet as you work so that your text markings remain readable.
Let’s start with Sonnet 29:
When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
You may need several copies of the sonnet as you work so that your text markings remain readable.
Let’s start with Sonnet 29:
When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,

4. Where to begin. Ask Questions
Where to begin? Ask Questions. You may need several copies of the sonnet as you work so that text makings remain readable.
So where do we begin? By asking questions. You will need several copies of the sonnet text. When we finish, there will be so many markings you will render one copy or the margins of your book unreadable. There will be terms discussed here that assume your knowledge of their definitions. If a term is unfamiliar to you please refer to any dictionary or your handout “Words and Phrases for Shakespeare Class.” This document will be available as a study guide from in the near future.

5. Quatrains and Couplet Mark Quatrains. (3 Quatrains, 4 lines each)
Mark the Couplet. (Last 2 lines)
Are they in perfect form or against form? Note where they are against form.
Let’s break down the sonnet to reveal its scaffolding. Shakespeare's sonnet form consists of Quatrains. Three of them. Each containing four lines. For a total of 12 lines. Each Quatrain will express a distinct idea which when linked together will form an argument. The Couplet is the sonnet’s conclusion or insight the speaker is seeking. These two lines bring the grand total for the sonnet to 14 lines. Are they in perfect form or against form? Note where they are against form.

6. When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
Quatrains for 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 possessed,
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 rememb’red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings. Q1 Q2 Q3
Couplet
Notice that this sonnet is basically regular. The punctuation, however, reveals that there is only one period. So this sonnet consists of one long idea. An idea that is broken up into several parts. The one period suggests the sonnet is relentless in driving forward to its end. Not necessarily in speed, but in pursuit of its conclusion. The Quatrains are always labeled Q1, Q2, Q3. The Couplet always consists of the last two lines.

7. Sentences Mark the sentences. They end where there are periods.
Sentence=Idea. How many main ideas? Enumerate them.
Notice how ideas are constructed with semi-colons; colons: and commas,.
Are there Enjambments? Mark them.
As we noted before, Sonnet 29 is all one Sentence. Most sonnets have more. So mark your sonnet where the periods fall. These are your ideas. When you speak your sonnet each Sentence/Idea must hang together if we are to have any chance of understanding you. Each Sentence will consist of dependent and independent clauses which will be held together by semi-colons, colons and commas. Use this punctuation to help you phrase your ideas. Sometimes at the end of a line no punctuation exists yet the idea continues. This is called an Enjambment. An Enjambment allows you move forward onto the next line without pause, helping you to make better sense of your idea.

8. When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
Sentences for 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 possessed,
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 rememb’red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
One
sentence
At first the Idea of one Sentence is daunting. But if you can skillfully use your semi-colons, colons and commas in phrasing your clauses you will be surprised how such a complex Idea can hang together as one.

9. Enjambments for 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 possessed,
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 rememb’red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings. Q1 Q2 Q3
Cou-plet
There are three Enjambments in Sonnet 29. They are marked with the arrows: line 2 into 3, line 11 into 12 and line 13 into 14. Avoiding a pause normally associated with a mark of punctuation and pressing forward into the next line helps us understand you better as in Q3: (Like to the lark at break of day arising from sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven’s gate; Note, as I just did, that the last word of a line with an Enjambment can be ever so slightly held or suspended. Just don’t give us a breath gap which signals to us aurally something else entirely. (Like to the lark at break of day arising. From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven’s gate;

10. Scanning How does it scan?
Force it into ˘ ˉ ˘ ˉ ˘ ˉ ˘ ˉ ˘ ˉ (short, long, short, long, etc,)
Is the scan regular (easy to force)? To help it stay regular, can any words elide?
Where is it irregular (can’t be forced), creating feminine endings, long lines, trochees, etc.)? Mark them.
When Scanning, do your best to force your rhythm into proper iambic pentameter: short/long, short/long, short/long, short/long, short/long. That’s 10 stresses within 5 iambs or feet. Forcing regular iambic pentameter let’s you find out if it falls to a regular or irregular scan. Sometimes two syllables elide into one, so what at first seems irregular may actually not be. Sometimes forcing can’t be done revealing 11 stresses (feminine ending), 12 or more stresses (long line) and trochees. A trochee is a reversal in proper stress within one iamb or foot, with the long stress coming first followed by the short stress.

11. When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
Scanning for 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 possessed,
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 rememb’red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
*a troublesome line that may defy consensus
Elision
Trochee
Feminine ending
No Elision
Notice that the force works easily with the first two lines. When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes, I all alone beweep my outcast state…But in line three it simply can’t be forced. And so we end up with an irregular scan. Even after eliding heaven by almost eliminating the e vowel in its last syllable to: heavn, the scan does not improve to a regular state. We’ll come back to this in a moment. Further forced scans reveal trochees to start lines 5 and 6 because wishing and featured cannot absorb a strong stress on their second syllables. No elisions are possible in lines 9 and 11 revealing feminine endings. Conversely if we do elide heaven in line 12 we come up with only 9 beats, so we give it its full weight here. But the speaker has opposing opinions of heaven in this sonnet, so it makes some sense that one heaven elides and the other doesn’t.

12. A Troubling Scan: A bastard scan.
Choosing to force the scan so that deaf is long stressed?
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries.
The easiest rhythm:
-double long stress trouble
-elide heaven to heav’n
-double short stress with my:
Back to that troubling scan in line 3. Like a bastard son, most editors simply ignore it. Here’s my best shot at it. Choosing to force the scan so that deaf is long stressed as in: And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries, may suggest the negative quality the speaker places on heaven. Deaf heaven= deaf ears (complimenting the human list around it.) Later on, however, heaven is an exalted, ethereal place. But this scan has a difficult rhythm to sustain.
The best conclusion we can come to is that it isn't regular, period. The easiest read comes when we double long stress trouble, elide heaven to heavn and double short stress with my. From an actor’s point of view one can interpret this frustrating scan as a parallel to the highly charged emotional turmoil of the speaker-- and move on.

13. Rhyme Scheme What is the rhyme scheme?Q1
ABAB
What is the rhyme scheme?
Are there visual rhymes as well as aural rhymes? Q2
CDCD Q3
EFEF
Now let’s ask questions about the Rhyme Scheme. In Shakespeare’s sonnets it is invariably ABAB in Q1, CDCD in Q2, EFEF in Q3 and GG in the Couplet.
But these rhymes are sometimes visual instead of the more frequent aural ones. This is because sounds have changed since Elizabethan times. Words that rhymed back then may not rhyme today and have become visual (on the page) rhymes only.
Couplet GG

14. Rhyme Scheme for 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 possessed,
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 rememb’red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings. Q1
ABAB Q2
CDCD Q3
EFEF
This Rhyme Scheme is the foundation for Shakespeare’s sonnets. So it’s just a matter of sussing out the aural and visual ones. Most are aural like eyes/cries and state/fate, but one possessed / least are visual (and barely at that). It is true the F rhyme is the same as the B rhyme, but in these sonnets we are looking for the scheme as it falls out in the Quatrains.
Couplet GG

15. Theme(s) Repeated Words What words are repeated?
Why they have been repeated?
Make sure you include variants and root forms.
When you finish you are likely to have found your----
Theme(s)
Repeated Words help us understand a thread or Theme of a given sonnet. So we need to examine the sonnet for words that repeat and take time to wonder why. Sonnets are constructed with rules and parameters. And the skill in penning them came from how the words were chosen and used. So we look for Repeating Words that tie the 14 lines together. They reinforce ideas, bring together ideas from one Quatrain to another. They also tie in the three Quatrains to the Couplet. They can create aural effects, like echoing and act as rolling stones gathering emotional moss as they tumble forward. They also can act as running gags or puns. More importantly, when you have finished you are likely to have found your Theme or Themes.

16. THEME Subject Meditation Topic Idea Motif Subject Matter Argument
Premise
Thesis
Sonnet Tie
Theme. A subject or discourse. A meditation or topic. A unifying idea or motif. An argument from which variations are developed. A premise or thesis. And specifically in the case of Sonnets, our Sonnet Tie.

17. Important Repeated Words for Sonnet 29
Finding our Theme
Important Repeated Words for 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 possessed,
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 rememb’red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings. Q1 Q2 Q3
Couplet
So we need to separate the wheat from the chaff. We look for Repeating Words that reveal Truths and give us Emotional Focus. In acting terms, Repeating Words give us the keys to the Speaker’s point of view and emotional depths. State appears in Q1, Q3 and the Couplet. It is the main Sonnet Tie or Theme. We follow the Speaker from his outcast state and its accompanying inward state of upheaval to his not-of-this-world state at heaven’s gate. Which is also repeated. Heaven is something to which the Speaker appeals fruitlessly (and thus hates for its deafness) and it is a place to which he prescribes great ecstasy. This ecstatic place sings-- which is another Repeated Word, whether standing alone or wittily tucked inside other words. Our last important Repeated Word is like. They appear in such close proximity in Q2 that it fairly screams that the Speaker is desperate (not at peace) to explain what he lacks. Like echoes in Q3 attaching itself to the ecstatic state. It appears only once because the Speaker is so clear (at peace) with his analogy.

18. These repeat too, but so what?
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 possessed,
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 rememb’red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
Too many people get obsessed with every word that repeats. It will only make your notes look like a cluttered Christmas tree.

19. Antithesis (Compare/Contrasts)
What words, phrases or images are put into compare/contrasts or Antithesis?
Mark them, connect with lines.
One of the most important concepts to grasp in understanding how meaning is given clarity in the sonnets and in all of Shakespeare, is the concept of Antithesis. Words, phrases and images are put into opposition so that a larger meaning is sharpened. It can be sometimes easier to find Antithesis when you see things being compared or contrasted. They appear in close proximity to each other in the text. Get in the habit of drawing linking lines between them until you get used to plucking them out automatically.

20. Antithesis (Compare/Contrast) in 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 possessed,
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 rememb’red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings. Q1 Q2 Q3
Couplet
Compare/ Contrast:
Antithesis:
Antithesis: (Brighting day/gloomy night)
When you see in Q2 this man’s art and that man’s scope it is easy to see the Speaker comparing two different men to which he compares himself singly and as a group, also to which he contrasts not only art (skill) to scope (freedom and range). In the next line the obvious Antithesis of most and least bookend something the Speaker values and hates in the same breath. In Q3 the gloom of pre-dawn is put into opposition with the ecstasy of the lark at sun’s rise. As an actor all you have to do is understand the extremes expressed here, plug it into your life experience and you are halfway home. This sonnet begins in one place and ends in another.

21. Definitions Do you know all the words?
If not look them up and get a definition.
By now, if you haven’t figured out unusual, difficult or Old English words by their context, then go get a dictionary. Or check your editor’s notes if you have a book of sonnets. While you’re at it check words and phrases you think you know for alternate or archaic meaning. Sometimes dense, opaque Shakespeare can suddenly open up to us and we become less afraid of it.

22. Words to look up for 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 possessed,
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 rememb’red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
In disgrace means out of favor, which will be contrasted with the unstated grace later in the sonnet at heaven’s gate. Beweep is to lament, but its sounding like crying is echoed with the Speaker’s bootless cries. Bootless= futile. More rich in hope=more hopeful, but with the expectation of better prospects and wealth. Featured=handsome. Art = skill or even craftiness. Scope = freedom or ability to open doors of opportunity. Haply= Perhaps, keeping the Speaker’s hopes elusive; a definition of happily, lessens the pain of the moment and makes this sonnet less dynamic. And sullen= gloomy.

23. Beginnings, Middles and Ends
Can this sonnet be broken up into beginnings, middles and ends?
What is the proposed issue?
What is the debate?
What is the conclusion?
Think bookends.
If you are to have forward momentum, if your Speaker is to end up in a different place from where he began, if you the actor want to get out of one-note land, then recognizing beginnings, middles and ends is a no-brainer. The answer to the first question is yes. Almost every sonnet can be divided up this way. It may be absolutely clear where a proposed issue or the sonnet’s set up is made, or it may subtly segue into its central debate Whatever the case, the Speaker will arrive at a Conclusion. More so in monologues and speeches, the beginnings and ends are bookends to 95% of the middle arguments.

24. Beginnings Middles Ends for 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 possessed,
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 rememb’red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings. B
Proposal or set up M
debate E
conclusion
If you don’t grasp a quick beginning then you will carry it too far into the central debate and things will get muddy, so here the definition of Time in the sonnet is the setup to the middle. All of what is mentioned in the debate happens at a specific Time: When. As what happens in most sonnets, the Conclusion falls in the Couplet.

25. Relationships Who is the Speaker? Who is the Speaker speaking to?
What is the Relationship?
What’s right in the Relationship?
What’s wrong in the Relationship?
What does the Speaker hope to accomplish? What does the Speaker need to change?
We must define who is present. Obviously, the Speaker is present. But, who is that other person? Are they present in the same room or space? What do the Speaker and this other person mean to each other? What is good about the Relationship? What is wrong about their Relationship? Make sure you can find answers to both questions. Then, what does the Speaker hope to accomplish and/or need to change?

26. I to my love, who seems not to be here
I to my love, who seems not to be here. I need to move myself to a different psychological plain (social plain to natural or elemental plain.)
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 possessed,
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 rememb’red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
Textual proof is available. It can be quoted. I am the Speaker: most likely a man, but this can be done from a woman’s point of view. I am speaking to someone (thee), a man or a woman, who is not there. The Relationship is between lovers or best of friends. It may be sexual or it may be platonic. When extracted from it’s sequence in the sonnet canon, the Relationship might be a Speaker speaking to someone who is known only to him. It may not be reciprocal. The Speaker hopes to escape his present state of affairs, if only in his mind. The Speaker needs to change his emotional state if only for a moment. In the real present time he is weighed down by social concerns and hierarchy. In the manufactured present time he is weightless as a lark in the natural (non-human) world.

27. Time What is the time frame?
Let’s define Time. When does this sonnet take place?

28. Time: A time of disgrace in the past, present and unforeseeable future, until I dream myself into a different past to create a different present and perhaps a different future.
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 possessed,
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 rememb’red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
The Time is a time of disgrace in the past, present and unforeseeable future. It is this unforeseeable-ness that drives the Speaker into dreams of ecstatic escape into a different past, different present and different future. This When can be the present moment , but it has surely occurred in the past and will likely continue into the future as defined by Fate and his hopes which are wishings and desirings. The shift into his altered state happens when he thinks and remembers and consequently enters then.

29. Parentheticals
Are there ideas that contain parenthetical thoughts (momentary digressions or explanations) other than what Shakespeare spells out (with actual parentheses) for you? Mark them.
Once marked, can you drop them out and still make sense of the idea at hand?
Parentheticals are my shorthand for parenthetical ideas. Shakespeare gives you a few here and there, but we can easily drop in many of our own. You’ll know if it is a proper Parenthetical if you can drop out your clause and the main thrust is still intact. The Parenthetical, therefore, acts as a modifier or point of clarification or a deepening of an idea or a supporting idea, or a contrasting idea. A Parenthetical has many ways of working.

30. Parenthetical ideas provided by Shakespeare and by my own marking.
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 possessed),
(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 rememb’red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
Shakespeare gave us a gift Parenthetical in lines 11 into twelve. But I think you can add a few more. The sonnet’s sense-meaning can be more clearly stated: When I beweep my outcast state and trouble deaf heaven and look upon myself and curse my fate, wishing me like to one more rich in hope, with what I most enjoy contented least; Yet in these thoughts Haply I think on thee, and then my state sings hymns at heaven’s gates; --- and the sonnet finishes. So the Parentheticals clarify, fill out and juxtapose metaphors to expand meaning. Doing this also is a short cut to your cutting through to the sonnet’s essence and bare bones meaning. As an actor this gives you sure footing when you construct its given scenario.

31. Major Tonal Shift Where is the major tonal shift in the sonnet?
Mark it.
You should be able to clearly define a single major shift in tone in any Shakespearean sonnet. You should know where it is. It is the key moment to an actor. The shift should be palpable.

32. Major Tonal Shift for 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 possessed,
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 rememb’red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings. Q1 Q2
Q3 Major Tonal Shift
Couplet
The Major Tonal Shift in Sonnet 29 happens in Q3 on the word Yet. What falls out emotionally is very different from what came before. If you miss it? Welcome to one-note land.

33. Imagery
What kind of images are conjured? Quoting the original text, pick out each image, then describe that same image in your own words.
Are there lists of images? Are they cumulative—pieces that build to a bigger, more substantive whole? Are they in opposition to each other creating an internal debate?
Identifying the Imagery will help you understand the pictures Shakespeare is painting. Yes, there may be one canvass, but within that canvass are images that make up the whole. Pick them out. Then take some time and find your emotional connection to them. Then as you put them back into the sonnet see how Shakespeare used them. Did he work subtly or did he spell it out for you like a laundry list? Are they separate images or are they a part of a whole?

34. When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
Images for 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 possessed,
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 rememb’red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
Senses within –eyes, ears, mouth: Q1, Senses looking out: Q2
State- outcast state AND state of acceptance
Heaven and earth: freedom/bird/flight, dawn of new day music, love, wealth
See how the imagery in Q1 springs from the human senses, what we feel, see, hear and how others feel, see and hear us. The image of an outcast is juxtaposed against hoped for inclusiveness at heaven’s gate. The most arresting imagery occurs in Q3 and lingers in the Couplet. Elegiac in nature, it can be linked to religious ecstasy, freedom, soaring bird-like, inspirational music, inner wealth and love.

35. Punning
Sonnets are witty word games. Treat it like an acrostic or crossword puzzle, etc.
What word games are there (punning)? Mark them.
Now for the braniac in each of us come the word games and Punning which can be very actable. They are also there for the reader-- for aural and visual delight.

36. When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
Punning in 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 possessed,
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 rememb’red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
There is actually very little Punning in this serious sonnet of self-analysis. Sonnet 29 reveals its rare levity when sing is introduced in Q3 within the major tonal shift:
Sing, despising, arising, that rhymes with brings and kings, with internal letter arrangement of same in wishing, desiring and doubly in despising. This Punning actually gives music that, excuse the pun, sings, and puts a positive spin on such a desolate humour.

37. Literary Devices
Are there lists such as Verb Lists? Noun Lists? Other word lists? Mark them.
Are there internal vowel sounds in close proximity to each other repeated (Assonance)?
Are there consonant sounds in close proximity to each other repeated (Alliteration)?
Are there words that are, through imitation of their sound, rhetorically effective? (Onomatopoeia)?
Now we mark the Literary Devices that have been woven puzzle-like into the sonnet. These include lists of Verbs and Nouns that add up to something worthy of noting. Just like Repeated Words, we don’t mark everything. Just those that bring life and drive to the sonnet. We mark appropriate occurrences of Assonance, Alliteration and Onomatopoeia, etc.

38. Literary Devices in Sonnet 29
Verb List 1
Verb List 2
Assonance-nothing remarkable here
Alliteration 1 (l, k)
Alliteration (s,h)
Onomatopoeia-nothing remarkable here
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 possessed,
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 rememb’red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
There is great rhythm to the way the Q1 Verb List of beweep, trouble, look upon, and curse drive the Speaker forward in his description. In Q2 the second Verb List switches to the use of gerunds or -ing endings as the descriptions expand and become more complex. There is a useful l, k Alliteration of Like to the lark at break. This is immediately followed by s, h Alliteration of arising From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven’s gate. As used here it is concurrent with the Major Tonal Change. It is remarkable and it is actable. However, there is no remarkable use of Assonance or Onomatopoeia here.

39. Syntax Is there Old English, Elizabethan or difficult syntax? Mark it.
We are almost done. Let’s mark any difficult reordering of the grammatical rules or Syntax. These structures can be purely poetic or may go back to Elizabethan times.

40. Difficult Syntax in 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 possessed,
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 rememb’red such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
Old English:
Beweep
Bootless
Haply
Rememb’red
Thy
Thee
As sonnets go there is very little syntactical reordering or rearrangement of verb and subject agreement (and other similar structures) that would make the reading, speaking or understanding of #29 difficult. Adding our own parentheses and caesuras will help our phrasing so to clarify things, but beyond that #29 is very accessible. Like him with friends possessed may be the most difficult phrase.

41. Caesura: sĭ-zhoo’-rah
Where can we use caesuras to help us phrase things better? Mark your caesuras.
A caesura is:
A pause in a line of verse dictated by sense or natural speech rhythm rather than by punctuation alone.
In Latin and Greek prosody, a break in a line caused by the ending of a word within a foot, especially when this coincides with a sense division.
Music A pause or breathing at a point of rhythmic division in a melody.
Improving sense is easy at periods. But mid-line? Caesura is a suspended moment. Caesura can be the difference between intelligibility and losing your audience. In music it is a luftpause, or air-pause. And it is taken to strengthen meaning and help phrasing.

42. Caesuras in Sonnet 29 // marks suggested caesuras,
entered only where punctuation does not already exist Q3
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 possessed,
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 rememb’red //such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state //with kings.
Caesura markings are added where no punctuation currently exists. Without caesuras Q3 sounds like this. 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. Using caesuras there is a change in Q3 comprehensibility: 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. Use and placement of caesuras is not engraved in stone. Often a line may have alternate places that make sense. The key to placement is where it makes metrical sense and sense meaningful.

43. The Moment Before/ The Moment After
Once the sonnet has been thoroughly examined, what is the moment before (30 seconds or less prior to the first spoken word)?
What happens after the sonnet is through (immediately after the last word)?
Creating an actable scenario for a sonnet adds questions that most sonnet readers will only casually wonder about. For the actor you must be specific. The scenario cannot exist in the land of multiple options and possibilities. You must choose one. One scenario that has a moment before and a moment after. The sonnet must be spurred on by something that was just said or a physical act just committed. Once spoken the sonnet should resonate wordlessly. Energy must be given away as if in need of a response, as in “so what do you think of what I just said?”

44. Making Sonnet 29 actable
Create an event that spurs the first line: i. e., the prison doors just slammed.
Create an event that lingers after: i.e., I curl up in a fetal position and sleep.
There are many scenarios available. But let’s choose one and see if it can work. In this rehearsal I will choose to have prison doors slam in my face as I have been locked into what is the final disgrace (in a long line of disgraces and indignities leading to this moment). The sonnet is then spoken in response to this stimuli. At finish I can only be comforted by my dreams and curl up into a fetal position.
Time now exists before the sonnet, during the sonnet and after. The moment after properly releases us from the sonnet.

45. Your Sonnet
All of these questions and examinations are found in one list: Sonnet Text Work.
Before memorizing, go through the questions and work out your answers.
Then prepare your sonnet so that you are speaking to someone. Create a scenario where your sonnet might exist including the moment before and the moment after.
All of these questions and examinations are found in the document: Sonnet Text Work. Before memorizing, go through the questions and work out your answers. Then prepare your sonnet so that you are speaking to someone. Create a scenario where your sonnet might exist including the moment before and the moment after.

46. Sonnet Text Work By Larry Gleason (This is my moment after.
Consider yourself released.)
No sound.