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?
I thought it was funny when in AP training (and Foster too) talk about the Sonnet as a "square." So identifiable. I also like Keat's sonnet on the sonnet. I wrote a sonnet on a bee once--it was terrible! It is so hard to create the "artifice" required in a sonnet. Mac
It seems that the sonnet is the perfect example of how form (the sonnet) and meaning merge. The genre itself lends itself to the kinds of topics and the movement of meaning it presents. Mac
I would have to say the reason why Foster consider a sonnet study critical to study poetry is because in his book "How to read Literature like a Professor" in many poetic forms require in-depth analysis to be recognized, because of a single reason of his idea there is no other poem is so versatile, so ubiquitous, so various, so agreeably short as the sonnet. In a sonnet, it haves a type of geometry to its form of the poem cause it haves a form of a square. The simple miracle towards a sonnet is that it haves fourteen lines and the others will be very close to ten. Which in fact ten syllables of English are about as long as fourteen lines are high corresponding to a square.
With a mere fourteen lines a poem with some minds will think that its capable of achieving one effect because they can't have a epic scope, it can't undertake sub plots, it can't carry much narrative water, but in fact there actually two to Foster. There is the "Petrarchan sonnet" which uses a rhyme scheme that ties the first eight lines together, following behind by a rhyme scheme that unfies the last six and "Shakespearean sonnet" which tends to divide up by four : the first four lines, the next four, the third four and the last four, which turn out to be only two. Meaning with the very vessel of a poem. the sonnet form, actually becomes a part of the meaning of the poem its very self. They like short poems that take far more time because everything has to be perfect, than long ones.
I do not have any familiarity with sonnets nor do i have an favorite for the very reason that i do not know what exactly where i can find them or to recongize instantly, but i would be willing to sit there and learn to them and find them in case i need them in some days like when i go off to college or any where else. Maybe a sonnet could unfold a lot of things for me and the world around me.
Foster Considers the study of the sonnet critical to the study of poetry because of how common the sonnet is and more simple meanings they hold since they are only 14 lines—normally with only two sentences. Another reason is they are easy to spot—without counting lines—by looking at the shape which is “square”—I think more rectangle though. Foster also says they are critical to study because “no other poem is so versatile, so ubiquitous, so various, so agreeably short as the sonnet”. The whole idea of centering the study of poetry around the sonnet can helpful with teaching students how to find the meaning behind poetry, because some poems are very complex, but sonnets have simple meanings that will help them to slowly understand and learn how to find the hidden meanings in pieces of poetry. The structure impacts the effect by the shortness of a sonnet. Because sonnets are short it can create tension between the structure and the emotions, etc. in the poem. I do not really have much experience with sonnets. I have read a few but never really have I really had to decode the meanings or analyze the effects it uses. My favorite sonnet I have read so far is probably a sonnet titled Sonnet XXIV – Divine Horses, but no matter where I search I can never find the author of the piece, all I know is that it is a Polynesian sonnet. I like this sonnet mostly because the flow of the sonnet feels like the images it creates throughout the piece. Plus I can relate to the feelings of wanting to be as free as a wild horse and can escape like that when I go ridding especially trail ridding through the woods and meadows the feeling is always there.
Sonnet XXIV-Divine Horses
Where wild horses thunder she can be found Bestowing to our kings the royal ground, Their oath as solemn as any marriage vow In ancient rites by which they are still bound. If flowing equine manes seen in a glance She is there by more than mere circumstance Epona, goddess of fertility Can we feel her blessings or be mumchance? Yet also seen as a nymph of warming springs The gentle caress where e’er nature sings Like the wild horses there’s no holding her But we can still see what her message brings I pray I find the need deep within me, Her desire to be running wild and free.
Hi Amber, I remember you talking about your love of horses in Honors Program once. I did find the following name with this poem when I searched it: Shivali Gupta. It is a lovely sonnet of freedom. Mac
Amber, you made a good point about how the sonnet’s structure impacts its readers. It is only fourteen lines long and, thanks to its shorter length, makes itself more accessible to a great number of readers. Your point about sonnets’ characteristically simply style also slipped my mind while I was writing my response to the prompt. In other words, I enjoyed your response and your points were more than valid.
From doing speech and debate with you last year, I know how much you love horses. I thought the sonnet you chose suited you perfectly! Good choice. You created great mystique by including your difficulty in trying to find the author, by the way.
Amber, I feel that the point of sonnets being known for their simplicity is not completely correct. A sonnet does not always hold such a simple meaning. Perhaps there is not enough thought being put into analyzing them. For instance, the sonnet you have shared does not hold the sheer simplicity you had discussed above it. After analyzing this piece, I felt that the author was trying to get across feelings of their own restrictions and because of being burdened by these restrictions, whatever they may be, the author wishes to have more freedoms. The use of nature and mythology in this sonnet allows the author to convey his feelings without making it seem as if that is his only intent.
Amber, I really liked the sonnet. I guessed at decoding "mumchance" with mum-silent and chance-happenstance. Dictionary.com confirms: silent or dumb-struck. I didn't know Epona, so I looked her up, too. She's the Celtic goddess of horses and mules. This is a great example of more than what appears. Poems that reveal through images or allusions pack so much meaning into a compact space...an economy of words. Good stuff. SBL
"Seldom we find," says Solomon Don Dunce, "Half an idea in the profoundest sonnet. Through all the flimsy things we see at once As easily as through a Naples bonnet-- Trash of all trash?--how can a lady don it? Yet heavier far than your Petrarchan stuff-- Owl-downy nonsense that the faintest puff Twirls into trunk-paper while you con it." And, veritable, Sol is right enough. The general tuckermanities are arrant Bubbles--ephemeral and so transparent-- But this is, now,--you may depend on it-- Stable, opaque, immortal--all by dint Of the dear names that lie concealed within't.
That's "An Enigma" by Edgar Allen Poe. I believe that it serves as a better explanation of a sonnet than any essay, novel, or lecture could ever be. And it does so in (what else?) a sonnet! Fourteen lines, ten syllables each. It's simple and short, rigid and confining, yet that small, square poem can serve the same purpose as weeks-worth of reading through papers and listening to explanations. "Seldom we find... /Half an idea in the profoundest sonnet." However, that half an idea is structured with such care as to provide an endless amount of thought to build upon it, fill the holes, and reinforce "all the flimsy things" within the poem's course. It is for this reason that Foster sees so much importance in the sonnet form. Its meaning transcends its small, rigid boundaries by drawing on the reader's imagination and experience to expand its message. Then, looking back on the sonnet after this message forms in your mind, you see the contrast of how large a message came to you from such few words. It seems so simple, yet, in reality, is such an intricately woven piece of poetry. A good sonnet is a prize example of poetry. It uses literary elements so effectively that one could write a novel about any good sonnet and still not be able to fit in all of its meanings. It isn't only critical to the study of poetry. It's critical to the study of anything to do with literature. Sonnets are probably my favorite type of writing because they fit my desire for deep thought in small packages. They take the amount of time to read as many paragraphs (if not less), yet fit in the meaning of a short story. I don't believe that I could pick any favorites because my interpretations all depend on what mindset I'm in when I read them and how much time I have to think about them before losing my train of thought in other activities.
Chandler, I agree with your point of how a sonnet may be short and sort of fluid yet pack an endless but rigid meaning. I agree the meaning I develop from a piece really depends on the mood I am in and the thoughts I have right before I read it. I love your analogy of how a sonnet takes as long of a time to read as a paragraph but packs as much meaning as a short story. I think everyone has grasped Fosters’ reason for believing the sonnet is the most important form of poetry in that it is so universal, short but long, and packs a lot of meaning in a short read. Amber
A sonnet about sonnets - how interesting! Of course Poe would do such a thing. I liked how you brought that poem in - like you said, sonnets tell so much, and ironically this sonnet reveals a lot about sonnets. I'm not great at understanding or writing poetry, but I can definitely appreciate the value of being able to tell so much with so few words. It's hard to understand how a form of writing with so many rules and such rigid structure can be so influential and beautiful. But then again architects and engineers don't learn the gazillion rules of physics and substances to make crappy buildings and etc. It still boggles me.
How did you ever stumble upon such a sonnet? It is quite amusing that you chose a sonnet about sonnets. Your intelligent humor shines in this response. Poe is a wondrous literary mind. I agree with your theory as to why Foster holds sonnets at such high esteem. They truly "transcend" the boundaries of their small geometric, uniform structure. You took the words out of my mouth when you described how the innumerable meanings of sonnets cannot be accurately described within a novel about a sonnet. There will always be more and more meanings. This suggests to me the recurring theme of Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor, that all literature is subjective. Could it be that the innumerable meanings of sonnets derive not from the author's intent, but the minds of the readers?
I really agree with what you said in your last paragraph about how sonnets take no longer to read than paragraphs upon paragraphs, but take up so little space. I also find it amusing how you've described that so much can fit into a sonnet and still keep the same meaning as a longer piece of text. It reminds me of something that we did in English in 10th grade where we had to cut out so many lines of Shakespeare's text from Julius Ceasar and still keep the same meaning. It was difficult, but the overall product was much easier to read and still said the same thing.
Chandler, I loved your point about how the sonnet’s short length opens up its readers’ imaginations. I never thought of that before! It is a perfectly valid assumption and I enjoy the idea of it. It reminds me of the old adage “less is more.” A sonnet’s mere fourteen lines could very well provoke a reader to read deeper into them and analyze their meaning. Perhaps this is to subconsciously make up for the poem’s short length?
I also enjoyed your selection. I myself am a Poe fan, but have never read that many of his poems. I usually stuck to his short stories. This was his first sonnet for me and I found it fascinating.
In the sense that sonnets are better used to concisely portray a point, I agree with you. You paint a good picture with your description and I think your choice of Poe's sonnet is a consolation to your explanation.
The simplicity of a sonnet is what I feel makes them so popular as it allows the author to portray their point as easily as any other poetry form, with the exception of haikus.
As it is that Shakespeare wrote more than 100 sonnets, the style of writing he used is evident in many of his plays. The form of sonnet writing is so similar to iambic pentameter that the two could practically go hand in hand.
Chandler, This sonnet by Poe is new to me. As you say, it is a great commentary on sonnets and their potency. (Although some notes I read said Poe didn't enjoy the form.) I love them because they are clever as well as compact. Of course, I wondered about tuckermanities and Solomon Don Dunce so I checked it out. For any other obsessives, there is interesting background at http://www.eapoe.org/works/mabbott/tom1p100.htm#pl0010. Foster does feel that if you can decode a sonnet, you have a good handle on most if not all poetic devices. Much like Robert Frost's poetry, it looks so simple on the surface but contains a more significant message below. SBL
I personally love sonnets. I'm not an expert on them, but after Haikus, sonnets are my favorite type of poetry. I think that sonnets have an aura about them that makes them easier to read than most other types of poems. I also like that they don't have a definite rhyme scheme and can have multiple rhyming orders, because it gives them variety and style. I really found it interesting that there are even more types of rhyme schemes than I knew, as Foster listed. Some of them I didn’t think were very practical, but they kept the sonnet he used different and made it a new reading experience. I also liked how Foster talked about how sonnets didn’t have to be a sentence every line type of deal, but could be versatile. For example, the writer could do a sentence every line of every other line, but the example Foster used was only 2 sentences, an also acceptable length.
I don’t have a favorite sonnet, but I am a fan of Shakespearean sonnets, which he was well known for. I think that he has interesting stories in his sonnets and is a master of writing them. Although his language is a bit hard to understand sometimes, I think it is imperative to study Shakespeare (sonnets and otherwise) because it builds the mind’s strength and thinking ability. I think this is also why Foster thought it was important to study sonnets and why he said that he always did them in class.
The sonnet was a relatively unknown form of poetry to me up until about my seventh grade year when I was going through my William Shakespeare phase (I still consider him the Stephen Sondheim of literature - he was, in my mind, the greatest writer of all-time… but enough about that). My familiarity with sonnets isn’t as deep as it probably should be; I haven’t read an impressive number of them, and I have studied even fewer. However, after reading Foster’s opinions of the poetry of form, I have a much better appreciation for them and how difficult it is to write one.
Foster writes in “How to Read Literature Like A Professor” that the study of the sonnet is essential to the study of poetry - he considers it the highest form. First and foremost, Foster praises the sonnet for having acquired a distinctive look: fourteen lines which form a square, making the sonnet instantly recognizable. He also goes on to explain that the sonnet can not be dated for it has been written in every era, and it is “blessedly common.” Sonnets, according to Foster, are a vital and important form of the poetry.
The square structure of the sonnet impacts its readers in a direct and straight-forward way. Without even counting the number of lines (which, of course, there would be fourteen of), readers can instantly recognize a sonnet because of its shape, which aesthetically differentiates itself from all other types of poetry.
Without further ado, my favorite sonnet is William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet #14”. This was the first sonnet I have ever read and continued to stick with me over all of these years. His language is impeccable here and the range of topic he discusses in such few words astounds me.
Not from the stars do I my judgment pluck, And yet methinks I have astronomy; But not to tell of good or evil luck, Of plagues, of dearths, or season's quality; Nor can I fortune to brief minutes tell, Pointing to each his thunder, rain, and wind, Or say with princes if it shall go well By oft predict that I in heaven find; But from thine eyes my knowledge I derive, And, constant stars, in them I read such art As truth and beauty shall together thrive If from thyself to store thou wouldst convert: Or else of thee this I prognosticate, Thy end is truth's and beauty's doom and date.
I don't remember learning about sonnets until 7th or 8th grade either, but just like you, I fell in love with them through Shakespeare. I don't know about you, but doing Midsummer's Night made me love and appreciate his works even more for what they are, and I definitely learned a lot about the language he used. Furthermore, Sonnet 14 isn't one of my favorites per se, but I do really enjoy Shakespearean sonnets because of the language and what he says in them, and this one is beautiful. I enjoy his description of life and love through Astrology (or at least that's how I interpreted it) and they way he says it is, I think, even clearer than most of his other works.
One of the biggest things stressed in poetry (in my experience with it) is brevity. I think we all naturally want to use as many words as possible to write what we want to say (I know I do), but to pack the most punch, a poem must say as much as possible in as little as possible. The sonnet does this excellently (Luke's Sonnet 14 is a beautiful example). When you're told to force an idea into a specific form, it acts as a trimmer for all those unnecessary bits and pieces that may have found their way in there by mistake. Spoken word (or what I would generally consider the majority of modern poetry) is just the opposite: use as many words as you need, throw your body into it, don't be shy - the sonnet's true lesson is control, both in mind and outcome.
When studying poetry, it's important to include the sonnet just for its sheer popularity and ability to be recognized, but by attempting to write a sonnet (which I believe we should all try at some point), the act definitely makes your brain think a little differently than it's used to. To complete a rhyme at the end of a line, you may have to find a word that wasn't what you initially wanted to use, but this can certainly lead to new interpretations and perspectives that maybe wouldn't have taken shape before. Though the sonnet is intensely structured at its heart, I think there's a lot of creative maneuvering we don't consider that takes place before a finished product sits in front of us. Though the end result is something beautiful in itself, sonnets can also teach us how to look at the world a new way and build structure from chaos.
Though I'm not exactly sure this qualifies as a true sonnet in the way we normally see it, it's still one of my favorites for the way it makes me feel after reading.
Sonnet XVII, Pablo Neruda
I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz, or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off. I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul.
I love you as the plant that never blooms but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers; thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance, risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.
I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; so I love you because I know no other way
than this: where I does not exist, nor you, so close that your hand on my chest is my hand, so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.
I love how you mention the creative maneuvering required to write a sonnet. Curving the meaning of sentences by word choice and restructuring opens up the poem's structure to include different paths of thinking. The lines are no longer flat and ordered, but rather they bend, twist, and shift into a new multi-dimensional figure. This new figure not only allows for mental diversions along its path but encourages them. As the reader travels along its surface, he or she may slide down one of its banks, be thrown into the air by a sudden ramp on the surface, or even plunge into a crevice only to float through the massive volume of meanings contained within. The sonnet only appears as a square.
I like it how you mention "brevity" as being the downfall of modern writing, and how the sonnet imploys lack of brevity and an unmeasurable amount of depth. Also, I have to agree with the notion that a sonnet form act as a "trimmer" for the poet. In my mind I imagine a funnel for thought. The poet pours their thought into it and out comes pure creative genuis. Froster I would imagine uses it because the funnel creates simplicity, and simplicity is perfection. Perfection of thought makes the study of sonnets so interesting yet so complex.
Foster suggests that the sonnet is important to the study of poetry because it is very common. He goes on to speculate that the general population will not heavily study poetry, so studying the sonnet is our best bet for survival in the sometimes poetic world of literature. Foster describes the sonnet as having the structure of a square. He makes this claim for where a sonnet is often written in iambic pentameter, its ten syllable lines will rival the height of the sonnet’s fourteen lines.
As shown by Christina Rossetti’s poem, “An echo from Willow-Wood,” sonnets’ structure can be used in many ways. Rossetti uses it to accent the heavy emotion she manages to insert into her sonnet. A sonnet is like a cupcake, small and plentiful. Cupcakes are small but brimming with flavor. Much like the cupcake sonnets are small in length, yet can pack an emotional, vividly described, and meaningful punch.
My background with sonnets is like that of my background with illegal substances, aside from what I learned from class, I don’t know anything about the subject. All I learned in class, mostly last year, were the two types of sonnets and their structure. Though I produced a sonnet, it was of kindergarten quality. It boiled down to simply being fourteen sentences that rhymed, and maybe only half the lines were in iambic pentameter. The only other “familiarity” I have with sonnets is I know that Shakespeare wrote a gaggle of them.
I don’t really have a favorite sonnet. I’m not a poetry person. If it doesn’t rhyme of isn’t funny, I’ll probably groan at the notion of reading it. However, Foster’s points on sonnets did change my perspective on them, and I don’t think they’re as bad as, let’s say, a Terza Rima.
Dylan, I love your comparison of sonnets to cupcakes and how something so small and simple can have such a big effect. I also appreciate your honesty in that you say that you aren't a poetry person and that even you find your sonnets to be at an elementary level. Modesty is key in life, so you're doing well. I do think that you shouldn't cut yourself short though. I may have only known you for three years, but I know that you can write on an exceptional level. Rhyming lines don't necessarily mean that your writing is of lackluster quality. Don't count yourself out.
I love your cupcake analogy. As I was writing my response, I thought about different things to compare a sonnet to, yet I couldn't come up with much that seemed to fit well. I somewhat wish I had thought of that when I was writing my post. I suppose the one thing that I couldn't compare them on is how much I like them because although I enjoy sonnets as much as, if not more, than other types of writing, I'd much rather have a cupcake at any given time than a sonnet. Oh, and as far as the illegal drugs reference goes, I just wanted to say that I'm at least glad that you don't know more about the drugs than sonnets.
Foster considers the Sonnet form of poetry to be a critical study to the study of poetry for a couple reasons. Poetry to most people can be an intimidating thing. Personally, I am overwhelmed by poetry and I believe it is very complicated to understand. Sonnets, however, are a different story. Sonnets are basically short and sweet so they allow the reader to be able to understand. Sonnets are very easy to spot because of their shape and style. Sonnets are written with fourteen lines that have ten syllables each. Making the shape appear to be a square. Another reason is that sonnets are so common and have been used since the English Renaissance. Remaining unchanged, a sonnet provides an antique sense of writing. Sonnets are often written in Iambic Pentameter which gives the readers a "blast from the past".
The structure impacts its effect because of the simplicity provided by a sonnet. Reading a sonnet and trying to understand it would be less of a struggle than reading a piece of literature and then trying to decipher the text. Its square shape makes it recognizable and easy to spot. I believe that if one understands how to spot and read a sonnet, then that person has the basic building blocks to study nearly any type or form of poetry. Unfortunately, the only experience I have had with sonnets was last year in Mrs. Miller's class when we were reading them in class near the end of the year. I do have a favorite sonnet though. This sonnet is my grandmother's favorite as well and it is one that we share. I love this sonnet because I am a sappy one when it comes to love and it is one of those that just make you feel happy when you read it.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sigh For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. I love thee to the level of every day's Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints--I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life!--and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death. -Elizabeth Barrett Browning
First, "it has a look." A sonnet came about as a trend setter. Keep mind this is coming from a guy who knows very little about fashion. It is easy for a reader to idenify. It doesn't take much for a reader to realize they're reading a sonnet simply because it takes the form of a spuare. So. Is this the main reason why poets ever since the English Renaissance have used a sonnet? Not exactly. Yes, its simple. It doesn't take long to read, but it has a significant amount of meaning concealed within it fourteen lines or square. If you will, imagine how much time a poet spent into devizing a sonnet. I'd imagine it would take a lot of out of the box thinking to creat one. Each stanza has to be related in some way to the next. An idea has to be carried over from the first eight lines to the next six much like two paragraphs. An idea is formed in the first and is expanded on in the second. The reason for the lack of brevity in a sonnet unlike a paragragh it is perfect and this sense of perfection is the cheif reason why Frost notes the sonnet as the most important form of poetry a reader needs to indulge in. Its lack of brevity is made up for with content and meaning.
My experience with poetry is thus. I can not write poetry of any kind not even a sonnet. I have no time or patience to do what poets do in my mind and that is to sit at a desked locked away in a room trying to expand on an individual thought on paper. In the end, I unlike an astute poet am left playing basketball with scibled on paper. Not my strong suit poetry is.
Now, because I can't make a sonnet doesn't necessarilly mean I don't like a sonnet. The fact is I read so little poetry, and understand so little of it. I don't have a favorite sonnet. The one provided by Frost on page 25 would be the closest since it is the one I can remember off the top of my head. There is something about "Lilies upon the surface , deep below." Simply, the thought is short ,yet so complex. Lilies in my mind grow in shallow water. "Deep below" suggest that the Lilies are only creating an allusion of shallow water. There is deep water between the two lovers in the poem like an ocean, yet the poet, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, makes them feel each heart beat. Almost, as if they are connected.
Blake, I like your response and completely weird. I did not know much about sonnets other than they were 14 lines long and often followed iambic pentameter. Did you think it was weird though at all that Foster focused so much on the structure of the sonnet, but only gave one small reference to the iambic pentameter that often come with this type of poetry? I also agree that the sonnet that Frost provided stuck out in my mind. It did make me appreciate poetry a little bit more. When I read that sonnet I imagined the water having a reflection of a mirror. I don’t know, maybe I misinterpreted that part, but just something I thought I would share.
I have never been a big fan of poetry, and consequently sonnets. Thomas Foster calls sonnets “so versatile, so ubiquitous, so various, so agreeably short”. Wrong, you are my friend! Sonnets are not as appealing as Foster makes them out to be. What is interesting though that Foster points out, is that many times poetry often relies on the structure more than the actual words to make an impact. Foster also believes that it is critical to study and appreciate poetry because of the structure involved. Not only is there the impact of the words but also the way they are set up. It is weird how placing certain phrases on different lines or grouping certain thoughts as a stanza or sentence can have such an effect on a reader’s experience. My familiarity with sonnets? Not much. I can remember in seventh grade when Mr. Mclaughlin made me get up in front of the class and sing sonnet 18 that I had memorized to the song “Upside Down” by Jack Johnson. I still remember all of the words to this day, 5 years later. Yes, the song helped me to memorize the poem, and yes it is one of the most popular sonnets, but I think the structure of the sonnet and the way the poem is set up also helped to memorize the assignment because of the impact it had. I’m not sure if I have read enough sonnets to have a favorite.
I hate sonnets, too! I was scrolling through these posts desperately trying to find someone who wasn't fawning over the so-called beauty of sonnets. I've read a few and I decided a long time ago that they might be my least favorite form of poetry. I don't quite understand why so many people hold the belief that structured forms of writing should be held in such high regard, while the world of free form writing has been looked down upon. I have always been a huge fan of free form poetry, and anything restricting my creative flow drives me insane. While reading them might be fun for some, writing them is horrid. It's like a game of tetris. I'm really bad at tetris, to say the least.
Foster considers the study of the sonnet to be critical to the study of poetry for two reasons: first it is "blessedly common," second because "no other poem is so versatile, so ubiquitous, so various, so agreeably short as the sonnet." Further, he recognizes that the sonnet "has a look," which allows very easy recognition. That look? A square. Therefore, nearly anyone will be able to recognize a sonnet with little mnemonic assistance, and (ore importantly) without a life of devoted study of poetry.
The sonnet's structure greatly impacts its effect. The sonnet has fourteen lines, and is typically broken into an octave and a sestet; or, in a Shakespearean sonnet, the poem is broken into three quatrains and a couplet. In either case, each unit will have a meaning, will tell a story (so to speak). By being restricted by a set structure, the poet is forced to think carefully about his or her words. This leads to a result that is to-the-point, even when the point is hidden behind a facade of nonsensical or beautiful words. Further, it does not leave room for digression (which is a habit many people tend to have), forcing the poet to stay on topic or risk sacrificing his or her meaning.
My familiarity with sonnets is very low. I have never been a poetic person, having always believed that everything my teachers told me this word and that phrase meant was just made up. Thanks to Foster, however, I understand that things have meanings beyond themselves due to years of using them in such a way, and I may yet come to appreciate poetry.
Foster considers the study of sonnets critical to the study of poetry because the sonnet is common and tends to be simple. Due to them having fourteen lines, being easy to recognize, and because “no other poem is so versatile, so ubiquitous, so various, so agreeably short as the sonnet”, sonnets are critical to the study of poetry. Sonnets are the center of the study of poetry because of their simplicity. Centering the study of poetry around sonnets is helpful in teaching students since some other forms of poetry are complex. The sonnet's structure impacts the effect due to its length. The shortness of a sonnet can create some tension throughout the poem. However, the shortness can also create a certain flow/connection throughout the stanzas of a sonnet. Unfortunately, I have not read many sonnets. Two of my favorites would be Sonnet 27 and Sonnet 60 by William Shakespeare.
Sonnet 27
Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed, The dear repose for limbs with travail tired; But then begins a journey in my head To work my mind, when body’s work’s expired. For then my thoughts, from far where I abide, Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee, And keep my drooping eyelids open wide, Looking on darkness which the blind do see. Save that my soul’s imaginary sight Presents thy shadow to my sightless view, Which, like a jewel hung in ghastly night, Makes black night beauteous, and her old face new. Lo thus by day my limbs, by night my mind, For thee, and for myself, no quiet find.
Sonnet 60
Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore, So do our minutes hasten to their end; Each changing place with that which goes before, In sequent toil all forwards do contend. Nativity, once in the main of light, Crawls to maturity, wherewith being crown’d, Crooked elipses ’gainst his glory fight, And Time that gave doth now his gift confound. Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth And delves the parallels in beauty’s brow, Feeds on the rarities of nature’s truth, And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow: And yet to times in hope my verse shall stand, Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand.
I thought it was funny when in AP training (and Foster too) talk about the Sonnet as a "square." So identifiable. I also like Keat's sonnet on the sonnet. I wrote a sonnet on a bee once--it was terrible! It is so hard to create the "artifice" required in a sonnet.
ReplyDeleteMac
It seems that the sonnet is the perfect example of how form (the sonnet) and meaning merge. The genre itself lends itself to the kinds of topics and the movement of meaning it presents.
ReplyDeleteMac
I would have to say the reason why Foster consider a sonnet study critical to study poetry is because in his book "How to read Literature like a Professor" in many poetic forms require in-depth analysis to be recognized, because of a single reason of his idea there is no other poem is so versatile, so ubiquitous, so various, so agreeably short as the sonnet. In a sonnet, it haves a type of geometry to its form of the poem cause it haves a form of a square. The simple miracle towards a sonnet is that it haves fourteen lines and the others will be very close to ten. Which in fact ten syllables of English are about as long as fourteen lines are high corresponding to a square.
ReplyDeleteWith a mere fourteen lines a poem with some minds will think that its capable of achieving one effect because they can't have a epic scope, it can't undertake sub plots, it can't carry much narrative water, but in fact there actually two to Foster. There is the "Petrarchan sonnet" which uses a rhyme scheme that ties the first eight lines together, following behind by a rhyme scheme that unfies the last six and "Shakespearean sonnet" which tends to divide up by four : the first four lines, the next four, the third four and the last four, which turn out to be only two. Meaning with the very vessel of a poem. the sonnet form, actually becomes a part of the meaning of the poem its very self. They like short poems that take far more time because everything has to be perfect, than long ones.
I do not have any familiarity with sonnets nor do i have an favorite for the very reason that i do not know what exactly where i can find them or to recongize instantly, but i would be willing to sit there and learn to them and find them in case i need them in some days like when i go off to college or any where else. Maybe a sonnet could unfold a lot of things for me and the world around me.
Foster Considers the study of the sonnet critical to the study of poetry because of how common the sonnet is and more simple meanings they hold since they are only 14 lines—normally with only two sentences. Another reason is they are easy to spot—without counting lines—by looking at the shape which is “square”—I think more rectangle though. Foster also says they are critical to study because “no other poem is so versatile, so ubiquitous, so various, so agreeably short as the sonnet”. The whole idea of centering the study of poetry around the sonnet can helpful with teaching students how to find the meaning behind poetry, because some poems are very complex, but sonnets have simple meanings that will help them to slowly understand and learn how to find the hidden meanings in pieces of poetry. The structure impacts the effect by the shortness of a sonnet. Because sonnets are short it can create tension between the structure and the emotions, etc. in the poem. I do not really have much experience with sonnets. I have read a few but never really have I really had to decode the meanings or analyze the effects it uses. My favorite sonnet I have read so far is probably a sonnet titled Sonnet XXIV – Divine Horses, but no matter where I search I can never find the author of the piece, all I know is that it is a Polynesian sonnet. I like this sonnet mostly because the flow of the sonnet feels like the images it creates throughout the piece. Plus I can relate to the feelings of wanting to be as free as a wild horse and can escape like that when I go ridding especially trail ridding through the woods and meadows the feeling is always there.
ReplyDeleteSonnet XXIV-Divine Horses
Where wild horses thunder she can be found
Bestowing to our kings the royal ground,
Their oath as solemn as any marriage vow
In ancient rites by which they are still bound.
If flowing equine manes seen in a glance
She is there by more than mere circumstance
Epona, goddess of fertility
Can we feel her blessings or be mumchance?
Yet also seen as a nymph of warming springs
The gentle caress where e’er nature sings
Like the wild horses there’s no holding her
But we can still see what her message brings
I pray I find the need deep within me,
Her desire to be running wild and free.
Hi Amber,
DeleteI remember you talking about your love of horses in Honors Program once. I did find the following name with this poem when I searched it: Shivali Gupta. It is a lovely sonnet of freedom.
Mac
Amber, you made a good point about how the sonnet’s structure impacts its readers. It is only fourteen lines long and, thanks to its shorter length, makes itself more accessible to a great number of readers. Your point about sonnets’ characteristically simply style also slipped my mind while I was writing my response to the prompt. In other words, I enjoyed your response and your points were more than valid.
DeleteFrom doing speech and debate with you last year, I know how much you love horses. I thought the sonnet you chose suited you perfectly! Good choice. You created great mystique by including your difficulty in trying to find the author, by the way.
Amber, I feel that the point of sonnets being known for their simplicity is not completely correct. A sonnet does not always hold such a simple meaning. Perhaps there is not enough thought being put into analyzing them. For instance, the sonnet you have shared does not hold the sheer simplicity you had discussed above it. After analyzing this piece, I felt that the author was trying to get across feelings of their own restrictions and because of being burdened by these restrictions, whatever they may be, the author wishes to have more freedoms. The use of nature and mythology in this sonnet allows the author to convey his feelings without making it seem as if that is his only intent.
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ReplyDeleteAmber,
DeleteI really liked the sonnet. I guessed at decoding "mumchance" with mum-silent and chance-happenstance. Dictionary.com confirms: silent or dumb-struck. I didn't know Epona, so I looked her up, too. She's the Celtic goddess of horses and mules. This is a great example of more than what appears. Poems that reveal through images or allusions pack so much meaning into a compact space...an economy of words. Good stuff.
SBL
"Seldom we find," says Solomon Don Dunce,
ReplyDelete"Half an idea in the profoundest sonnet.
Through all the flimsy things we see at once
As easily as through a Naples bonnet--
Trash of all trash?--how can a lady don it?
Yet heavier far than your Petrarchan stuff--
Owl-downy nonsense that the faintest puff
Twirls into trunk-paper while you con it."
And, veritable, Sol is right enough.
The general tuckermanities are arrant
Bubbles--ephemeral and so transparent--
But this is, now,--you may depend on it--
Stable, opaque, immortal--all by dint
Of the dear names that lie concealed within't.
That's "An Enigma" by Edgar Allen Poe. I believe that it serves as a better explanation of a sonnet than any essay, novel, or lecture could ever be. And it does so in (what else?) a sonnet! Fourteen lines, ten syllables each. It's simple and short, rigid and confining, yet that small, square poem can serve the same purpose as weeks-worth of reading through papers and listening to explanations. "Seldom we find... /Half an idea in the profoundest sonnet." However, that half an idea is structured with such care as to provide an endless amount of thought to build upon it, fill the holes, and reinforce "all the flimsy things" within the poem's course.
It is for this reason that Foster sees so much importance in the sonnet form. Its meaning transcends its small, rigid boundaries by drawing on the reader's imagination and experience to expand its message. Then, looking back on the sonnet after this message forms in your mind, you see the contrast of how large a message came to you from such few words. It seems so simple, yet, in reality, is such an intricately woven piece of poetry. A good sonnet is a prize example of poetry. It uses literary elements so effectively that one could write a novel about any good sonnet and still not be able to fit in all of its meanings. It isn't only critical to the study of poetry. It's critical to the study of anything to do with literature.
Sonnets are probably my favorite type of writing because they fit my desire for deep thought in small packages. They take the amount of time to read as many paragraphs (if not less), yet fit in the meaning of a short story. I don't believe that I could pick any favorites because my interpretations all depend on what mindset I'm in when I read them and how much time I have to think about them before losing my train of thought in other activities.
Chandler,
DeleteI agree with your point of how a sonnet may be short and sort of fluid yet pack an endless but rigid meaning. I agree the meaning I develop from a piece really depends on the mood I am in and the thoughts I have right before I read it. I love your analogy of how a sonnet takes as long of a time to read as a paragraph but packs as much meaning as a short story. I think everyone has grasped Fosters’ reason for believing the sonnet is the most important form of poetry in that it is so universal, short but long, and packs a lot of meaning in a short read.
Amber
A sonnet about sonnets - how interesting! Of course Poe would do such a thing. I liked how you brought that poem in - like you said, sonnets tell so much, and ironically this sonnet reveals a lot about sonnets. I'm not great at understanding or writing poetry, but I can definitely appreciate the value of being able to tell so much with so few words. It's hard to understand how a form of writing with so many rules and such rigid structure can be so influential and beautiful. But then again architects and engineers don't learn the gazillion rules of physics and substances to make crappy buildings and etc. It still boggles me.
DeleteHow did you ever stumble upon such a sonnet? It is quite amusing that you chose a sonnet about sonnets. Your intelligent humor shines in this response. Poe is a wondrous literary mind. I agree with your theory as to why Foster holds sonnets at such high esteem. They truly "transcend" the boundaries of their small geometric, uniform structure. You took the words out of my mouth when you described how the innumerable meanings of sonnets cannot be accurately described within a novel about a sonnet. There will always be more and more meanings. This suggests to me the recurring theme of Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor, that all literature is subjective. Could it be that the innumerable meanings of sonnets derive not from the author's intent, but the minds of the readers?
DeleteI really agree with what you said in your last paragraph about how sonnets take no longer to read than paragraphs upon paragraphs, but take up so little space. I also find it amusing how you've described that so much can fit into a sonnet and still keep the same meaning as a longer piece of text. It reminds me of something that we did in English in 10th grade where we had to cut out so many lines of Shakespeare's text from Julius Ceasar and still keep the same meaning. It was difficult, but the overall product was much easier to read and still said the same thing.
DeleteChandler, I loved your point about how the sonnet’s short length opens up its readers’ imaginations. I never thought of that before! It is a perfectly valid assumption and I enjoy the idea of it. It reminds me of the old adage “less is more.” A sonnet’s mere fourteen lines could very well provoke a reader to read deeper into them and analyze their meaning. Perhaps this is to subconsciously make up for the poem’s short length?
DeleteI also enjoyed your selection. I myself am a Poe fan, but have never read that many of his poems. I usually stuck to his short stories. This was his first sonnet for me and I found it fascinating.
In the sense that sonnets are better used to concisely portray a point, I agree with you. You paint a good picture with your description and I think your choice of Poe's sonnet is a consolation to your explanation.
DeleteThe simplicity of a sonnet is what I feel makes them so popular as it allows the author to portray their point as easily as any other poetry form, with the exception of haikus.
As it is that Shakespeare wrote more than 100 sonnets, the style of writing he used is evident in many of his plays. The form of sonnet writing is so similar to iambic pentameter that the two could practically go hand in hand.
Chandler,
ReplyDeleteThis sonnet by Poe is new to me. As you say, it is a great commentary on sonnets and their potency. (Although some notes I read said Poe didn't enjoy the form.) I love them because they are clever as well as compact. Of course, I wondered about tuckermanities and Solomon Don Dunce so I checked it out. For any other obsessives, there is interesting background at http://www.eapoe.org/works/mabbott/tom1p100.htm#pl0010. Foster does feel that if you can decode a sonnet, you have a good handle on most if not all poetic devices. Much like Robert Frost's poetry, it looks so simple on the surface but contains a more significant message below.
SBL
I don't know why my post looks so weird. I guess it's the the web address. Sorry. It is not intentional.
ReplyDeleteI personally love sonnets. I'm not an expert on them, but after Haikus, sonnets are my favorite type of poetry. I think that sonnets have an aura about them that makes them easier to read than most other types of poems. I also like that they don't have a definite rhyme scheme and can have multiple rhyming orders, because it gives them variety and style. I really found it interesting that there are even more types of rhyme schemes than I knew, as Foster listed. Some of them I didn’t think were very practical, but they kept the sonnet he used different and made it a new reading experience. I also liked how Foster talked about how sonnets didn’t have to be a sentence every line type of deal, but could be versatile. For example, the writer could do a sentence every line of every other line, but the example Foster used was only 2 sentences, an also acceptable length.
ReplyDeleteI don’t have a favorite sonnet, but I am a fan of Shakespearean sonnets, which he was well known for. I think that he has interesting stories in his sonnets and is a master of writing them. Although his language is a bit hard to understand sometimes, I think it is imperative to study Shakespeare (sonnets and otherwise) because it builds the mind’s strength and thinking ability. I think this is also why Foster thought it was important to study sonnets and why he said that he always did them in class.
The sonnet was a relatively unknown form of poetry to me up until about my seventh grade year when I was going through my William Shakespeare phase (I still consider him the Stephen Sondheim of literature - he was, in my mind, the greatest writer of all-time… but enough about that). My familiarity with sonnets isn’t as deep as it probably should be; I haven’t read an impressive number of them, and I have studied even fewer. However, after reading Foster’s opinions of the poetry of form, I have a much better appreciation for them and how difficult it is to write one.
ReplyDeleteFoster writes in “How to Read Literature Like A Professor” that the study of the sonnet is essential to the study of poetry - he considers it the highest form. First and foremost, Foster praises the sonnet for having acquired a distinctive look: fourteen lines which form a square, making the sonnet instantly recognizable. He also goes on to explain that the sonnet can not be dated for it has been written in every era, and it is “blessedly common.” Sonnets, according to Foster, are a vital and important form of the poetry.
The square structure of the sonnet impacts its readers in a direct and straight-forward way. Without even counting the number of lines (which, of course, there would be fourteen of), readers can instantly recognize a sonnet because of its shape, which aesthetically differentiates itself from all other types of poetry.
Without further ado, my favorite sonnet is William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet #14”. This was the first sonnet I have ever read and continued to stick with me over all of these years. His language is impeccable here and the range of topic he discusses in such few words astounds me.
Not from the stars do I my judgment pluck,
And yet methinks I have astronomy;
But not to tell of good or evil luck,
Of plagues, of dearths, or season's quality;
Nor can I fortune to brief minutes tell,
Pointing to each his thunder, rain, and wind,
Or say with princes if it shall go well
By oft predict that I in heaven find;
But from thine eyes my knowledge I derive,
And, constant stars, in them I read such art
As truth and beauty shall together thrive
If from thyself to store thou wouldst convert:
Or else of thee this I prognosticate,
Thy end is truth's and beauty's doom and date.
Luke,
DeleteI don't remember learning about sonnets until 7th or 8th grade either, but just like you, I fell in love with them through Shakespeare. I don't know about you, but doing Midsummer's Night made me love and appreciate his works even more for what they are, and I definitely learned a lot about the language he used. Furthermore, Sonnet 14 isn't one of my favorites per se, but I do really enjoy Shakespearean sonnets because of the language and what he says in them, and this one is beautiful. I enjoy his description of life and love through Astrology (or at least that's how I interpreted it) and they way he says it is, I think, even clearer than most of his other works.
One of the biggest things stressed in poetry (in my experience with it) is brevity. I think we all naturally want to use as many words as possible to write what we want to say (I know I do), but to pack the most punch, a poem must say as much as possible in as little as possible. The sonnet does this excellently (Luke's Sonnet 14 is a beautiful example). When you're told to force an idea into a specific form, it acts as a trimmer for all those unnecessary bits and pieces that may have found their way in there by mistake. Spoken word (or what I would generally consider the majority of modern poetry) is just the opposite: use as many words as you need, throw your body into it, don't be shy - the sonnet's true lesson is control, both in mind and outcome.
ReplyDeleteWhen studying poetry, it's important to include the sonnet just for its sheer popularity and ability to be recognized, but by attempting to write a sonnet (which I believe we should all try at some point), the act definitely makes your brain think a little differently than it's used to. To complete a rhyme at the end of a line, you may have to find a word that wasn't what you initially wanted to use, but this can certainly lead to new interpretations and perspectives that maybe wouldn't have taken shape before. Though the sonnet is intensely structured at its heart, I think there's a lot of creative maneuvering we don't consider that takes place before a finished product sits in front of us. Though the end result is something beautiful in itself, sonnets can also teach us how to look at the world a new way and build structure from chaos.
Though I'm not exactly sure this qualifies as a true sonnet in the way we normally see it, it's still one of my favorites for the way it makes me feel after reading.
Sonnet XVII, Pablo Neruda
I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.
I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.
I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way
than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.
I love how you mention the creative maneuvering required to write a sonnet. Curving the meaning of sentences by word choice and restructuring opens up the poem's structure to include different paths of thinking. The lines are no longer flat and ordered, but rather they bend, twist, and shift into a new multi-dimensional figure. This new figure not only allows for mental diversions along its path but encourages them. As the reader travels along its surface, he or she may slide down one of its banks, be thrown into the air by a sudden ramp on the surface, or even plunge into a crevice only to float through the massive volume of meanings contained within. The sonnet only appears as a square.
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DeleteI like it how you mention "brevity" as being the downfall of modern writing, and how the sonnet imploys lack of brevity and an unmeasurable amount of depth. Also, I have to agree with the notion that a sonnet form act as a "trimmer" for the poet. In my mind I imagine a funnel for thought. The poet pours their thought into it and out comes pure creative genuis. Froster I would imagine uses it because the funnel creates simplicity, and simplicity is perfection. Perfection of thought makes the study of sonnets so interesting yet so complex.
DeleteFoster suggests that the sonnet is important to the study of poetry because it is very common. He goes on to speculate that the general population will not heavily study poetry, so studying the sonnet is our best bet for survival in the sometimes poetic world of literature. Foster describes the sonnet as having the structure of a square. He makes this claim for where a sonnet is often written in iambic pentameter, its ten syllable lines will rival the height of the sonnet’s fourteen lines.
ReplyDeleteAs shown by Christina Rossetti’s poem, “An echo from Willow-Wood,” sonnets’ structure can be used in many ways. Rossetti uses it to accent the heavy emotion she manages to insert into her sonnet. A sonnet is like a cupcake, small and plentiful. Cupcakes are small but brimming with flavor. Much like the cupcake sonnets are small in length, yet can pack an emotional, vividly described, and meaningful punch.
My background with sonnets is like that of my background with illegal substances, aside from what I learned from class, I don’t know anything about the subject. All I learned in class, mostly last year, were the two types of sonnets and their structure. Though I produced a sonnet, it was of kindergarten quality. It boiled down to simply being fourteen sentences that rhymed, and maybe only half the lines were in iambic pentameter. The only other “familiarity” I have with sonnets is I know that Shakespeare wrote a gaggle of them.
I don’t really have a favorite sonnet. I’m not a poetry person. If it doesn’t rhyme of isn’t funny, I’ll probably groan at the notion of reading it. However, Foster’s points on sonnets did change my perspective on them, and I don’t think they’re as bad as, let’s say, a Terza Rima.
Dylan, I love your comparison of sonnets to cupcakes and how something so small and simple can have such a big effect. I also appreciate your honesty in that you say that you aren't a poetry person and that even you find your sonnets to be at an elementary level. Modesty is key in life, so you're doing well. I do think that you shouldn't cut yourself short though. I may have only known you for three years, but I know that you can write on an exceptional level. Rhyming lines don't necessarily mean that your writing is of lackluster quality. Don't count yourself out.
DeleteI love your cupcake analogy. As I was writing my response, I thought about different things to compare a sonnet to, yet I couldn't come up with much that seemed to fit well. I somewhat wish I had thought of that when I was writing my post. I suppose the one thing that I couldn't compare them on is how much I like them because although I enjoy sonnets as much as, if not more, than other types of writing, I'd much rather have a cupcake at any given time than a sonnet.
DeleteOh, and as far as the illegal drugs reference goes, I just wanted to say that I'm at least glad that you don't know more about the drugs than sonnets.
Foster considers the Sonnet form of poetry to be a critical study to the study of poetry for a couple reasons. Poetry to most people can be an intimidating thing. Personally, I am overwhelmed by poetry and I believe it is very complicated to understand. Sonnets, however, are a different story. Sonnets are basically short and sweet so they allow the reader to be able to understand. Sonnets are very easy to spot because of their shape and style. Sonnets are written with fourteen lines that have ten syllables each. Making the shape appear to be a square. Another reason is that sonnets are so common and have been used since the English Renaissance. Remaining unchanged, a sonnet provides an antique sense of writing. Sonnets are often written in Iambic Pentameter which gives the readers a "blast from the past".
ReplyDeleteThe structure impacts its effect because of the simplicity provided by a sonnet. Reading a sonnet and trying to understand it would be less of a struggle than reading a piece of literature and then trying to decipher the text. Its square shape makes it recognizable and easy to spot. I believe that if one understands how to spot and read a sonnet, then that person has the basic building blocks to study nearly any type or form of poetry. Unfortunately, the only experience I have had with sonnets was last year in Mrs. Miller's class when we were reading them in class near the end of the year. I do have a favorite sonnet though. This sonnet is my grandmother's favorite as well and it is one that we share. I love this sonnet because I am a sappy one when it comes to love and it is one of those that just make you feel happy when you read it.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sigh
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints--I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!--and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
First, "it has a look." A sonnet came about as a trend setter. Keep mind this is coming from a guy who knows very little about fashion. It is easy for a reader to idenify. It doesn't take much for a reader to realize they're reading a sonnet simply because it takes the form of a spuare. So. Is this the main reason why poets ever since the English Renaissance have used a sonnet? Not exactly. Yes, its simple. It doesn't take long to read, but it has a significant amount of meaning concealed within it fourteen lines or square. If you will, imagine how much time a poet spent into devizing a sonnet. I'd imagine it would take a lot of out of the box thinking to creat one. Each stanza has to be related in some way to the next. An idea has to be carried over from the first eight lines to the next six much like two paragraphs. An idea is formed in the first and is expanded on in the second. The reason for the lack of brevity in a sonnet unlike a paragragh it is perfect and this sense of perfection is the cheif reason why Frost notes the sonnet as the most important form of poetry a reader needs to indulge in. Its lack of brevity is made up for with content and meaning.
ReplyDeleteMy experience with poetry is thus. I can not write poetry of any kind not even a sonnet. I have no time or patience to do what poets do in my mind and that is to sit at a desked locked away in a room trying to expand on an individual thought on paper. In the end, I unlike an astute poet am left playing basketball with scibled on paper. Not my strong suit poetry is.
Now, because I can't make a sonnet doesn't necessarilly mean I don't like a sonnet. The fact is I read so little poetry, and understand so little of it. I don't have a favorite sonnet. The one provided by Frost on page 25 would be the closest since it is the one I can remember off the top of my head. There is something about "Lilies upon the surface , deep below." Simply, the thought is short ,yet so complex. Lilies in my mind grow in shallow water. "Deep below" suggest that the Lilies are only creating an allusion of shallow water. There is deep water between the two lovers in the poem like an ocean, yet the poet, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, makes them feel each heart beat. Almost, as if they are connected.
Blake,
DeleteI like your response and completely weird. I did not know much about sonnets other than they were 14 lines long and often followed iambic pentameter. Did you think it was weird though at all that Foster focused so much on the structure of the sonnet, but only gave one small reference to the iambic pentameter that often come with this type of poetry?
I also agree that the sonnet that Frost provided stuck out in my mind. It did make me appreciate poetry a little bit more. When I read that sonnet I imagined the water having a reflection of a mirror. I don’t know, maybe I misinterpreted that part, but just something I thought I would share.
I have never been a big fan of poetry, and consequently sonnets. Thomas Foster calls sonnets “so versatile, so ubiquitous, so various, so agreeably short”. Wrong, you are my friend! Sonnets are not as appealing as Foster makes them out to be. What is interesting though that Foster points out, is that many times poetry often relies on the structure more than the actual words to make an impact. Foster also believes that it is critical to study and appreciate poetry because of the structure involved. Not only is there the impact of the words but also the way they are set up. It is weird how placing certain phrases on different lines or grouping certain thoughts as a stanza or sentence can have such an effect on a reader’s experience.
ReplyDeleteMy familiarity with sonnets? Not much. I can remember in seventh grade when Mr. Mclaughlin made me get up in front of the class and sing sonnet 18 that I had memorized to the song “Upside Down” by Jack Johnson. I still remember all of the words to this day, 5 years later. Yes, the song helped me to memorize the poem, and yes it is one of the most popular sonnets, but I think the structure of the sonnet and the way the poem is set up also helped to memorize the assignment because of the impact it had. I’m not sure if I have read enough sonnets to have a favorite.
Leah,
DeleteI hate sonnets, too! I was scrolling through these posts desperately trying to find someone who wasn't fawning over the so-called beauty of sonnets. I've read a few and I decided a long time ago that they might be my least favorite form of poetry. I don't quite understand why so many people hold the belief that structured forms of writing should be held in such high regard, while the world of free form writing has been looked down upon. I have always been a huge fan of free form poetry, and anything restricting my creative flow drives me insane. While reading them might be fun for some, writing them is horrid. It's like a game of tetris. I'm really bad at tetris, to say the least.
Foster considers the study of the sonnet to be critical to the study of poetry for two reasons: first it is "blessedly common," second because "no other poem is so versatile, so ubiquitous, so various, so agreeably short as the sonnet." Further, he recognizes that the sonnet "has a look," which allows very easy recognition. That look? A square. Therefore, nearly anyone will be able to recognize a sonnet with little mnemonic assistance, and (ore importantly) without a life of devoted study of poetry.
ReplyDeleteThe sonnet's structure greatly impacts its effect. The sonnet has fourteen lines, and is typically broken into an octave and a sestet; or, in a Shakespearean sonnet, the poem is broken into three quatrains and a couplet. In either case, each unit will have a meaning, will tell a story (so to speak). By being restricted by a set structure, the poet is forced to think carefully about his or her words. This leads to a result that is to-the-point, even when the point is hidden behind a facade of nonsensical or beautiful words. Further, it does not leave room for digression (which is a habit many people tend to have), forcing the poet to stay on topic or risk sacrificing his or her meaning.
My familiarity with sonnets is very low. I have never been a poetic person, having always believed that everything my teachers told me this word and that phrase meant was just made up. Thanks to Foster, however, I understand that things have meanings beyond themselves due to years of using them in such a way, and I may yet come to appreciate poetry.
Foster considers the study of sonnets critical to the study of poetry because the sonnet is common and tends to be simple. Due to them having fourteen lines, being easy to recognize, and because “no other poem is so versatile, so ubiquitous, so various, so agreeably short as the sonnet”, sonnets are critical to the study of poetry. Sonnets are the center of the study of poetry because of their simplicity. Centering the study of poetry around sonnets is helpful in teaching students since some other forms of poetry are complex. The sonnet's structure impacts the effect due to its length. The shortness of a sonnet can create some tension throughout the poem. However, the shortness can also create a certain flow/connection throughout the stanzas of a sonnet. Unfortunately, I have not read many sonnets. Two of my favorites would be Sonnet 27 and Sonnet 60 by William Shakespeare.
ReplyDeleteSonnet 27
Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed,
The dear repose for limbs with travail tired;
But then begins a journey in my head
To work my mind, when body’s work’s expired.
For then my thoughts, from far where I abide,
Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee,
And keep my drooping eyelids open wide,
Looking on darkness which the blind do see.
Save that my soul’s imaginary sight
Presents thy shadow to my sightless view,
Which, like a jewel hung in ghastly night,
Makes black night beauteous, and her old face new.
Lo thus by day my limbs, by night my mind,
For thee, and for myself, no quiet find.
Sonnet 60
Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore,
So do our minutes hasten to their end;
Each changing place with that which goes before,
In sequent toil all forwards do contend.
Nativity, once in the main of light,
Crawls to maturity, wherewith being crown’d,
Crooked elipses ’gainst his glory fight,
And Time that gave doth now his gift confound.
Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth
And delves the parallels in beauty’s brow,
Feeds on the rarities of nature’s truth,
And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow:
And yet to times in hope my verse shall stand,
Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand.