Blogger #11
Daniel Liew
Period 6
11/19/20
Cycle B
Freshman 2021
Aim: How can further implementation of our poetry skills enhance our exploration and analysis of Shakespearean Sonnets ?
Do Now: Think/Pair/Share
With your partner, consider the word “Summer”. What symbolic meanings or connotations are usually associated with this word? Why?
The class began as would every class, with the do now. Some words that the students had thought of included: sun, warm, relaxing, fun, hot, freedom, the beach, ocean waves, hot summer rays, beauty. (All positive connotations)
NOTES
Spirit Reading:
Structure of a Shakespearean Sonnet
Shakespearean sonnets are structure-specific:
Shakespearean sonnets are fourteen line poems.
They are traditionally about love and romance.
Divided into four parts: three quatrains (four lines each) and a rhyming couplet at the end of the poem (two lines)
First quatrain introduces the subject
Second quatrain complicates the subject
The couplet resolves or alters the subject in some way
Follows the rhyme scheme- ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
Sonnets are written in iambic pentameter (a metric line consisting of unstressed syllables followed by stressed syllables)
Ms. Peterson then told the class that she was a linguist and that you can come up with definitions of words by its prefixes and suffixes, while she was connecting words and other languages. (Ex: couplet, couple, 2)
NOTES (CONTINUED)
Spirit Reading
Structure of a Shakespearean Sonnet--Continued
Each syllable in a word is either stressed (hard) or unstressed (soft) based on the pronunciation of the letters. Stressed syllables are marked with a / over the letters; unstressed are marked with a u.
An Iambic foot contains two syllables, the first unstressed and the second stressed. Iambic measure is often called the heartbeat meter because of its similarity of the rhythm of the human heart. Note the following terms with an iambic rhythm:
/ u / u / u / u / u / u
a. Phoenix b. Forbid c. anew c. in turn d. repair e. heaven
Understand iambic pentameter: Iambic pentameter (five-measure) is a line of five iambic feet. The line has a total of ten syllables repeating the pattern of “unstressed, stressed” five times. Identify the iambic pentameter below using / for stressed and u for unstressed, then write and mark two lines below.
Often, a pet’s soft whine outcries the son’s
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day
After spirit reading, Ms.Peterson read the sentences above, giving an example of how iambic pentameter sounds. Then, students watched a video. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-tayWCupD8&ab_channel=ShakespeareCoach) The video describes how everyone uses iambic pentameter unconsciously. Iambic pentameter is the stressing of words while speaking.
Structure of a Shakespearean Sonnet--Continued
Sonnet 18 is one of Shakespeare’s most well-known sonnets and even if you aren’t familiar with the entire poem, you have likely heard the first line (it is often alluded to in other forms of pop culture). Pay attention to rhyme scheme, figurative language, diction and tone and as you read annotate the poem for meaning.
Keep the following mnemonic device in mind:
ANALYSIS OF POETRY
Sonnet 18
1 Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? A
2 Thou art more lovely and more temperate: B
3 Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, A
4 And summer's lease hath all too short a date: B
5 Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, C
6 And often is his gold complexion dimm'd; D
7 And every fair from fair sometime declines, C
8 By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm'd; D
9 But thy eternal summer shall not fade E
10 Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st; F
11 Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade, E
12 When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st; F
13 So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, G
14 So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. G
After students finished spirit reading the poem, students watched a video called “sonnet by Shmoop”. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42_QOaCL8uc&ab_channel=Shmoop)The video added more to the notes of sonnets stated above and added more information on Shakespeare sonnets and how it uses iambic pentameter to create a soothing pattern to draw us in. (Sonnets have a strict rhyme scheme, ABAB CDCD EFEF GG and are 14 lines long)
Then the students went off into their breakout rooms where they worked together with their team to fill out questions on slides 6-8.
TEAM GROUP WORK
Using the capital letters A-G, mark the poem for its rhyme scheme. In Quatrain One: According to the speaker, how does this subject compare to summer? Which does he prefer?
According to the speaker, the summer is being compared to a person. The speaker describes how the summer is “Thou art more lovely and more temperate:”, beautiful like a person.
Furthermore, the speaker states, “Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?” implying that he is comparing the subject of the poem to summer. He prefers the subject more than the summer as “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer's lease hath all too short a date:”
2. In Quatrain Two: What are the problems the speaker has with summer?
What does line 7 mean (“and every fair from fair sometimes declines”)?
Although the sonnet recounted many positive things about the person and summer, the speaker also has problems with it. According to the poem, the test states that “and every fair from fair sometimes declines”. I can infer solely from the negatively connotated word, “declines”, that the speaker also has problems like “Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines”, suggesting that sometimes the sun is too hot, similar to describing how the subject can be too “bright” or extreme.
(No question #3)
In Quatrain Three: According to the speaker, what is the main difference between the subject of the sonnet and summer?
Upon analysis of the poem, the speaker states that the main difference between the subject of the sonnet and summer is that the subject is lasting, however, the summer can come and go. “But thy eternal summer shall not fade Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;”
Rhyming Couplet: Look at lines 13-14. What is the speaker saying in the conclusion of the sonnet? Does this confirm the messages expressed in the rest of the sonnet or alter them in some way?
Upon analysis of the sonnet, the speaker is suggesting that the woman is beautiful and her beauty will live on. The poem states that “So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.” Evidence suggests that as long as this (the sonnet), as long as the poem exists, the woman’s beauty is immortalized.
What is the theme of this sonnet?
What is the speaker’s attitude toward the subject?
It is evident based on the sonnet that the main theme of this sonnet is to express the speaker’s love and admiration for the subject by comparing the beauty of the summer and the subject (woman). As for the speaker’s attitude towards the subject, the piece of evidence; “Thou art more lovely and more temperate:” indicates that the speaker loves the subject.
After groups worked together to answer the questions, all students joined back into the main meeting and discussed the answers together.
Sonnet 130
1 My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun, A
2 Coral is far more red, that her lips red, B
3 If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun: A
4 If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head: B
5 I have seen roses damasked, red and white, C
6 But no such roses see I in her cheeks, D
7 And in some perfumes is there more delight, C
8 Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. D
9 I love to hear her speak, yet well I know, E
10 That music hath a far more pleasing sound: F
11 I grant I never saw a goddess go, E
12 My mistress when she walks treads on the ground. F
13 And yet by heaven I think my love as rare, G
14 As any she belied with false compare. G
After spirit reading the poem, students then broke out into breakout rooms to answer questions on slides 10-12
TEAM GROUP WORK
Identify the rhyme scheme (by marking the poem) using the letters A-G..
In Quatrain One: How does the speaker describe his mistress? What specific attributes does he reference?
Based on the sonnet, the speaker describes his mistress as “My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun, Coral is far more red, that her lips red,” suggesting that the speaker believes that his mistress has many unappealing characteristics. Moreover, the speaker goes on to further describe the negative physical qualities of his mistress, insulting her eyes, lips, hair, cheeks, breath, and voice.
In Quatrain Two: How does the speaker speak to: her cheeks, and her breath?
The speaker describes his mistress’ cheeks and breathes as “ I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks, And in some perfumes is there more delight, Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.” Based on the textual evidence, I can conclude that the subject’s breath “reeks” and that there is no color in his mistress’ cheeks.
In Quatrain Three: According to the speaker, how does he address his mistress’ voice and walk?
How does this contrast with what most people would claim about their mistresses?
According to the speaker, the poem states that, “I love to hear her speak, yet well I know, That music hath a far more pleasing sound:I grant I never saw a goddess go, My mistress when she walks treads on the ground”. I can infer that the speaker thinks that his mistress’ voice is not pleasing and that he has never seen a goddess walk and goes on to refer to his mistress. This is in contrast to most people who compliment their mistress’ physical appearance, unlike the speaker.
Rhyming Couplet: Look at lines 13-14. What is the speaker saying in the conclusion of the sonnet? Why does the poet think his love is rare?
How does the poet play with conventional stereotypes of love poetry?
I can conclude that the speaker thinks that his love is rare due to the fact that he still loves his mistress despite her many flaws. The speaker is trying to get the point across that although his mistress might be ugly and have an unappealing voice and breath, he still loves her. The poet plays with the stereotypes of love poetry by reversing everything, from beauty to ugliness.
Students then joined back to the main meet and discussed their answers. Question 6 was assigned for homework.
How is the speaker's lover an inversion or parody (an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect) of the petrarchan (A Petrarchan lover is melodramatic, self-consciously suffering and has given himself up to the power of his mistress) and medieval lover?
How has Shakespeare used juxtaposition, and for what purpose?
In what way(s) has the writer’s focus on physical beauty enhanced the emphasis and relevance on the theme for society at the time?
How is this theme still relevant and prevalent today?
Based on my previous knowledge as well as the poem, most “medieval lovers” are usually over dramatic and “dying for love”, however, the poet describes his love life as the complete opposite to these medieval lovers. Shakespeare evidently uses juxtaposition to clearly determine the difference between his sonnet and the archetypal love poem in his parody, most likely used for humor. The writer’s focus on physical beauty is relevant today, as most people now have access to beauty with help of cosmetics. Shakespeare’s sonnet describes true love, ignoring physical appearance, something that has been neglected in modern society. This theme is still relevant today, as people don’t really love who they are with, however, they are with someone of physical beauty.
Reflection:
I learned from this lesson that Shakespeare is well known for his sonnets. Sonnets are a type of poem, almost the opposite of free verse as it sticks to a strict 14 line length and the rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Furthermore, I also learned that Shakespeare’s sonnets included the use of iambic pentameter, the stress of words to create a rhythm in a poem. Iambic pentameter is also present in our everyday conversations, oblivious to us. I learned this lesson to expand my miniscule knowledge of poetry by exposing me to a new form, sonnets, and the poetic elements incorporated into it. I can use what I have learned to enhance my poetic skills and create sonnets independently.
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