The English Sonnet

Glasgow sonnet is a touching poem written by Edwin Morgan and is about how Glasgow used to be, years ago and the effects that it had on people. It deals with an important issue such as poverty and we see the reality of it and how it shouldn’t be ignored. By examining Morgans use of techniques we will be able to seen more of the effects of poverty and how and things actually are Morgans makes the poem particularly effective by the use of sonnet structure, the first 8 lines show us the area and the surroundings and the second half shows us the inside of the situation including people having to deal with this poverty.

A sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines that rhyme in a particular pattern. William Shakespeare’s sonnets were the only non-dramatic poetry that he wrote. Shakespeare used sonnets within some of his plays, but his sonnets are best known as a series of one hundred and fifty-four poems. The series of one hundred and fifty-four poems tell a story about a young aristocrat and a mysterious mistress. Many people have analyzed and contemplated about the significance of these “lovers”. After analysis of the content of both the “young man” sonnets and the “dark lady sonnets”, it is clear that the poet, Shakespeare, has a great love for the young man and only lusts after his mistress.

In modern times, youth and beauty is an image seen everywhere. For example, a Versace billboard, magazine ad, TV commercial, all of which displays images of beautiful people. But what happens when this beauty fades? Shakespeare in his 12th sonnet talks about his experience and fading beauty. The purpose of this poem is to encourage a young man to not lose his beauty to the ravages of time. In order to do this, one must reproduce so beauty will live.

In 2010 Billy Collins writes Sonnet, a piece of literary work I consider to be the antihero of sonnets. Collins ironically follows neither the constructs of a Shakespearean nor Petrarchan Sonnet throughout. He also creatively breathes new life into a strict art form while rejecting the historical rules a sonnet must follow in this work. Upon further review of Sonnet, it becomes clear that this deliberate rule breaking is a skilled nod & side-step to historic norms and a promotion of a new age of creativity in the making of a sonnet.

This essay will address how Shakespeare and Rossetti engage with the sonnet form, through Rossetti’s “A Sonnet” and Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 52”. Both poets arguably subvert the traditional Petrarchan sonnet genre, though in different ways. Rossetti’s ‘A Sonnet’ explores the sonnet as an art form rather than as a means of currency, as sonnets were seen to be at the time, and how if treated as a commodity, the value of a sonnet is diminished. Similarly, Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet 52’ explores the connection between frequency and worth. However, ‘Sonnet 52’ adheres more closely to traditional sonnet form, as the prevalent theme is romance, and the idealisation of the “fair youth”. In contrast to Shakespeare’s adherence to the traditional romantic focus of sonnets, Rossetti subverts the genre by using “The Sonnet” as a metatextual device to explore his ideas around the form of a sonnet itself.

Shakespeare is known for numerous literature achievements such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, MacBeth and so on. However, he is also known for his short but witty sonnets. While Shakespeare was known for more romantic stylistic poems and plays, his sonnets attack conventional notions in a number of ways. Shakespeare takes the ideas and attitudes of other sonnets and twists them into his own which goes against the habitual descriptions. Two sonnets, in particular, "Sonnet 130" and also "Sonnet 138", are examples of how he mocks and attacks the conventions of relationships, women 's beauty and also the conventionality of love in poetry itself.

Even though William Shakespeare wrote about other things besides love, love, friendship and marriage are the main topics that William Shakespeare wrote about because those were the subjects most important in that period of time and love conquers all. Shakespeare’s sonnets are full of romance and very expressive. They raise love up to give the reader something to desire for. Sonnets written in Shakespeare’s time were often written about love and were very popular. Love sonnets are personal and show the splendor and importance of love.

Love comes in many colors. The blood-crimson of lust and the jade-green of jealously are but two of the vast palate required to paint this inescapable human passion. William Shakespeare’s store of colors is unrivaled. No human failing, foible or foolishness escapes his gentle, comedic reproof. He equally enjoins his audience to venture as bravely as he does into the palpable horror of love gone amiss. In “OTHELLO,”“MACBETH,” and many more dramas, love’s fatal potential to provoke vengeance or the quest for earthly power is powerfully felt. These are epic investigations of love’s progression. A sonnet, however, is the equivalent of the modern short story. It is a snapshot of a single, significant experience. In two of Shakespeare’s sonnets – diverse in time and temperament, but complimentary in their conclusions – Shakespeare states his deepest feelings about the potential for a human love that is an un-judgmental commitment to the selfless nourishment of a partner. Sonnet 116, with a certainty and wisdom obtained from experience and suffering, marches out a rigorous and profound definition of true love. Sonnet 29 finds a soul in turmoil salvaged by an epiphany of understanding the power of true love to heal. By examining the perspective of the respective speakers, their individual progresses, the themes evoked and the poetic devices employed to compliment content this essay argues that for Shakespeare, true and enduring

William Shakespeare is one of the most celebrated poets in the world. During his career he began to notice his celebrity status, and it became evident in his work. Shakespeare’s sonnets do not portray a love of their subject, they actually portray his ego. The language, mood and treatment of the subject are the elements of the portrayal. First of all, the language used in Shakespeare’s sonnets is not romanticizing; it is egotistical.

Known as the leader in classical poetry and drama, English writer William Shakespeare, captures the passion and emotions that the romance and depths of the human heart experiences in life. This is especially shown in his vast collection of sonnets which exemplified the “carpe diem” ideology of the period, and the love that one can have for another. Two of the most famous of Shakespeare’s works, Sonnet 55 [Not Marble, nor the gilded monuments] and sonnet 116 [Let me not to the marriage of true minds], are no exception to this theme in poetry. Both of these sonnets exemplify the love that the narrator has for a mistress in his life, and how he defines his love for them. Throughout both poems, Shakespeare conveys his purpose through the

The conventions of the sonnet, mixed with the idolization of the features of the subject of the poem and the recurring “courtly love” theme characterize the romantic poetic style. Both Petrarca and Shakespeare use these standards in different ways throughout their works, varying them slightly to suit their purposes and themes.

An Elizabethan sonnet is a poem that contains 14 lines. Each line is usually 10 syllables long. However, Shakespeare created his own type of sonnet that also has 14 lines, but also follows a rhyme scheme of ababcdcdefefgg. Not only that, but the Shakespearean sonnets also have iambic pentameter which give the sonnets a rhythm or beat by emphasizing every other syllable. Shakespearean sonnets are very similar to those of Petrarchan lovers. The main idea of these sonnets are usually about exaggerated and romantic love. These sonnets were created by a man named Francesco Petrarch. He was an Italian student during the Renaissance who lived in Petrarch, Italy. Petrarch then fell in love with a woman named Laura, and shortly after he began to write sonnets about her. Many people who also lived in the city continued what Francesco had started. The ideal woman of the time and in Petrarchan sonnets was blonde, had a high forehead, had bright eyes, and had pale skin. In the sonnets, they are exaggerated so much that they are almost viewed as angels or goddesses. In William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 130,” he compares his “mistress” to the ideal woman from Petrarchan sonnets, and in a way, mocks them for their ridiculous flattery. In “Sonnet 130,” William Shakespeare’s use of similes, metaphors, and tone illustrate the complex nature of love, and reject the cliché concepts of ideal love.

The majority of Elizabethan sonnets reflect two major themes: time and love. William Shakespeare, too, followed this convention, producing 154 sonnets, many of which deal with the usual theme of love. Because the concept of love is in itself so immense, Shakespeare found several ways to capture the essence of his passion. Therefore, in his poetry he explored various methods and used them to describe the emotions associated with his love for a mysterious "dark lady." These various ideas and views resulted in a series of sonnets that vibrantly depicts his feelings of true, undying love for his lady. Instead of making the topic less interesting, as some might expect, Shakespeare's myriad approaches

     The sonnet, being one of the most traditional and recognized forms of poetry, has been used and altered in many time periods by writers to convey different messages to the audience. The strict constraints of the form have often been used to parallel the subject in the poem. Many times, the first three quatrains introduce the subject and build on one another, showing progression in the poem. The final couplet brings closure to the poem by bringing the main ideas together. On other occasions, the couplet makes a statement of irony or refutes the main idea with a counter statement. It leaves the reader with a last impression of what the author is trying to say.

Shakespeare, who wrote the sonnets in 1609, expresses his own feelings through his greatest work of literature. The theme of love in the poems reflect thoughts from the Renaissance period. Love is one of many components of Shakespeare’s life shown in the sonnets. Love can be defined in many ways other than a strong affection for a lover. In Shakespeare’s sonnets, the concept of love can be seen through many uncommon means such as the love of life before death in “Sonnet 73,” love in marriage in “Sonnet 116,” love through sexual desire in “Sonnet 129,” and love through nature in “Sonnet 130,” proving that love can be expressed through many different feelings and emotions.