1. Shakespeare’s Sonnets
English 220
Winter 2011

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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)

5. 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)
: “Dark” Lady
78-80, 82-86: Rival Poet
: classical allusions

6. 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

7. 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”

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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