Shakespeare’s Sonnets English 220 Winter 2011

History of Shakespeare’s Sonnets First published as a collection: 1609 Earliest evidence of their existence: 1598 mentioned in Wit’s Treasury Unauthorized publication of 138 and 144: 1599 No authenticated order or dates of writing No authenticated notion of who the poems are about, who they are dedicated to, sex of most “objects” Some think many written during closure of play houses, over a 20-year period

Sonnet Formats Shakespearean/English Spenserian 14 lines abab cdcd efef gg Spenserian abab bcbc cdcd ee 14 lines 3 quatrains, 1 couplet Iambic Pentameter 5 feet, two syllables unstressed, stressed occasional variations Turn/Volta Can occur after line 8 or 12 Petrachan/Italian abab abab cdecde abab abab cdccdc 14 lines 2 quatrains, one sextet (I don’t know Italian meter, but when used in English, generally Iambic pentameter) Turn/Volta Occurs after line 8

Shakespearean Formal Characteristics Content Generally love poems, to a perfect yet unattainable object of desire; embodies notions of courtly love Structure Quatrain One: Introduces Topic Quatrain Two: Develops/Complicates Topic Quatrain Three: May further develop or complicate OR it may move toward resolution (depends upon placement of turn/volta) Couplet: Provides resolution, often in “pithy” manner Golden Mean: 8/5 (13 parts/lines, with one added)

Sequence Framework More a collection than a sequence, though contains “sequences”: 1-17: Procreation 1-126: Fair Youth (may or may not be the same person as 1-17) 127-152: “Dark” Lady 78-80, 82-86: Rival Poet 153-154: classical allusions

Thematic Concerns 1 Time Passage of Attempt to regain the past Combat time’s destructive effects Enjoy passing flux of the present moment For time to stand still Will for immortality of verse and beloved Transcendent power of youth

Thematic Concerns 2 Image Object of poems lives in verse Self in mirror (multiplied, reflected, recreated); warning against single, lonely life Breeding, recreation of self via procreation (a sense of immortality) Mortal beauty Object of poems lives in verse “in these black lines be seen” “love shall in my verse” “live twice, in it, and in my rhyme”

Thematic Concerns 3 Desire and Language of Sexuality “from fairest creatures we desire increase” Often expressed indirectly (“all-too precious you”) as well as directly (13 times) spiritual and sexual desire No rigid distinction between homosexuality and male friendship in the era “friend” and “lover” have variant meanings Often indeterminate gender

Form 1-126 none are clearly addressed to a woman 20 contain masculine pronouns or address 127-onward overtly address a woman -7 are clearly about a female Remainder are indeterminate and could go either way 123 addressed to an individual; some linked to those not clearly addressing anyone: 5-6, 73-74 Some reference individual in third person (63-68) Numerology: 60 (clock time), 63 (grand climacteric), and 49 (minor climacteric) Four kinds of persons: 3 male, one female; Male: poetic voice (which could be imagined as female), male addressee, and the poet entangled with addressee “black” woman “Black” woman, the initial poet voice’s lover

The Poet Could be named “Will” Never states he is married Suggests his relationship to male resembles that of a wife to her husband Has a female partner Poet is older than the friend, object of the poems Has a sense of being victimized Unworthy in comparison to object of poems Torn between the friend and the black lady Shows a determination to idealize the beloved

The Young Man (or Men) Never named; inference in 135 and 136 he too is a “Will” Unmarried in some poems, and no contradictions in others Early poems address in loving terms with some criticism for selfishness Contains faults (which is counter to courtly love tradition) Offended sexually with poet’s mistress Keeps bad company Poet will take some responsibility for friends wrongs

A Woman, or some Women No names used, which is counter to sonnet tradition Spoken of generically: my mistress, my music, dear heart . . . “Lady” not used; “dark” only once; “black” five times, three times for praise; seven mentions of dark coloring Betrays poet sexually with his friend

Other Poet(s) Known as “the rival poet” Identity unknown, but plenty of speculation Usurps poet’s place with the friend Poet tongue tied in face of rival’s seemingly superior work

In short Poet loves one or more young men and/or women Love is to some degree reciprocated Poet also loves a “black” woman Another poet also loves the person or persons, who respond to his praise One or more women has an affair with one or more young men which the poet deeply resents There is no resolution to the situation

Thoughts on Reading Act of Reading Each sonnet is an individual poem to be read by itself Each sonnet is part of an interconnected collection or cycle Each Sonnet is a literary Exercise Sonnets represent real biographical/ autobiographical experience