In the book
How to Read Literature like a Professor Foster claims that the sonnet is
critical to the study of poetry for three reasons. One, the sonnet is very common
in contrast with some other forms which require in-depth analysis to recognize
their form. Two, the sonnet is well liked my both readers and poets. Three, it
has an exact shape. Due to its form a sonnet is composed of parts. A
Shakespearian sonnet divides up into four parts and other types of sonnets in
two parts. The key with sonnets is simply that they must look like a
square. Personally I have always been
exposed to sonnets and have always been rather fond of them. I cannot say I
have studied them much when considering their form or wording. However, I did
take a creative writing class where we had to write ten sonnets for our
midterm. Apart from that I really have only read sonnets. My favorite sonnet
would have to be Sonnet CVI by William Shakespeare. The reason it has become my favorite is
because of the lines “I see their antique pen would have express'd/ Even such a
beauty as you master now,” and “They had not skill enough your worth to sing:/For
we, which now behold these present days,/Have eyes to wonder, but lack tongues
to praise.” The explanation is that it makes me realize it does not matter how
many times we read works by people like Shakespeare because we cannot deliver
them to their full potential. This sonnet makes me think and I believe a
sonnet, or a poem in general, should always make you think. Shakespeare
mastered the talent of evoking someone deep into the realm of ideas and out of
reality.
Hi Anna,
ReplyDeleteHow did those sonnets turn out? I think writing them is so difficult. And yet, there seems to be something universal and appealing about their structure--almost archetypal--the way meaning can be constructed and expressed.
Mac
Anna, it seems we've had very different experiences with sonnets. Instead of me being exposed to them, I was only introduced to them a couple of times in various English classes. Our class as a whole didn't really give it a whole focus. So, when being told, "Lauren, write a sonnet. Due tomorrow," I get nervous instead of getting excited for the experience. I am usually worried I'll do something wrong. Even though I cannot write (well, I could, but I would need some practive) sonnets, the ones I've read I do enjoy. I agree with you, poems and other works SHOULD make you think. I believe if the artist's work makes you ponder, then they have successfully completed their goal/intended purpose.
ReplyDeleteAnna, it seems like you really know what you're talking about when it comes to sonnets! I however, have had a different expeience with them and feel very unfamiliar with them. Like Lauren, I get nervous at the thought of having to write one without having much practice and study of them. Until reading "How to Read Literature like a Professor" I didn't even know that recognizing a sonnet was as easy as identifying its shape. While, I'm usually decent at finding deeper meanings in poetry, actually identifying what kind of poem it is is quite a struggle. I'm sure that having the extra practice in your specified writing class will give you boost in this upcoming school year.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Molly and Lauren. Nervous barely describes the rush of emotions that hit me whenever I hear the word sonnet. I know that they are nothing to fear at all but because I have only studied one or two in school throughout the years, I am very intimidated by the thought of sonnets. All those that I can remember are beautiful and complex; they tell stories or glorify a person, object, or position. I often feel that when I look at my education there has been little introduction to poetry or the classic sonnets and I regret that more time hasn’t been sent delving into the richness of this area. There is a lot that comes with sonnets that because of my unfamiliarity make me feel unprepared and quite ignorant. I wish that I could know more about this field—I am really impressed with your knowledge about them Anna (though I’m not surprised that you are so well rounded because you are a reader of great proportion). This is one of those areas that I am really hopeful about when looking forward to this year, because through studying sonnets my nerves will subside.
ReplyDeleteAnna,
ReplyDeleteYour backgrond with sonnets is very impressive, but the other comments are much more the norm. As you know, poetry is an economy of language...the most meaning and emotion in the fewest words. Sonnets, I think, are some of the least threatening because they are fairly predictable. They have a definite number of lines and reliable rhythm and rhyme patterns. It's precisely those limits that make them a challenge to write but possible to decode. Never fear. They only seem mystical. By the time poetry rolls around, you will be such accomplished close readers that nothing will stymie you!
SBL