Prompt #3

I’ve not read many sonnets.  To be honest, having to read sonnets or Shakespeare frustrates me for one main reason; for the life of me, I can never identify sonnets, especially in any of Shakespeare’s plays!  I know they’re in there, and they aren’t hiding!  I think reading the section on the “square” form has helped me with this problem – reflecting on some of the line lengths in Hamlet, I now can identify a few.  No, I do NOT have a favorite, although I believe Christina Rossetti’s sonnet in the book was beautifully written, and I might pick a Shakespearean one – if I ever find one.  Foster considers sonnets to be important because they appear the most often, are recognizable to most readers, and are easy to spot (apparently) because of their “square” shape.  He goes on about the “form” of this type of poem; since the form is so structured and small, the message(s) have to be squished in with few, well-intentioned words.  A major plot or story can’t be accomplished through a sonnet because of its short length, but an important shift of an idea/mood could be well executed because of its two parts – the octave and six lines, or some variation of this.  Foster also says the form itself – the line lengths, rhyme schemes, sentence structure, iambic pentameter (or something – um - better), Petrarch or Shakespearean or any other variation – brings its own meaning to the poem other than what is written.  This makes sense – why would one choose one variation over the other, or to even write in such a structured, short form over writing an epic?  Because every detail when you write with that much importance on an issue, idea, or feeling, matters.

How To Read Literature Like A Professor

Prompt 3

The sonnet form has been prized since the English Renaissance. Why does Foster consider its study critical to the study of poetry? How does the structure impact its effect? What is your familiarity with sonnets? Do have a favorite? Why?