Reading Response on Shakespeare sonnets - Bonus will be given for quality - Essay Example

Essay, English Literature ic and Modern) Topic: Reading Response on Shakespeare sonnets William Shakespeare (1564—1616) The wounded heart is the hallmark of the love-poems. Howsoever intelligently a poet may try to sweep under the carpet; he cannot remain without giving vent to his feelings about the latent goings on in his inner world. Love remains itched there permanently and even the cosmic power will not be able to erase it completely because it is the spark of the same cosmic power. William Shakespeare’s (1564-1616) sonnets have been read and debated as vibrations of love of his own life.

He is the pole star of Renaissance Theatre. Shakespeare has to his credit 154 sonnets but the basic raw material for all of them can be found in just one word, “Love.” Oh, Love! What is your real connotation or color? Love baffles definition, each love episode creates its own horizon. The vibrant colors of the rainbow are kindergarten stuff as compared to the colors that love is capable of generating in the inner world of a lover. To a lover, ‘her’ spoken and unspoken words are like fresh boney from the beehive and they keep millions of hopes alive!

The magical seed of love grows together in two fertile hearts. Shakespeare expresses similar feelings in sonnet 116, “Let me not to the marriage of true minds.” (Shakespeare, n. p.) It is about love reaching the level of pinnacle of perfection. It glorifies the relationship of the lovers based on trust and understanding. Their mutual faith is unshakeable and will not alter. For, true love goes on multiplying and passion diminishes with passing time. Love is such a strange game, the stealer chases the stolen and both are happy to get caught!

To understand the exact meaning of the import of a particular sonnet is to understand the waves in the mind of the poet at that particular time when the sonnet is penned. Poems sprout in dramatic circumstances, and they are the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings of emotional, pathetic and love situations. Understand the implied circumstances of the lyrics to understand its import. You need to emotionally involve yourself in the content and see the reflection of your own feelings. Authentic assessment of the lyrics of the sonnet is thus made.

Whether one is a successful or a defeated lover, the permanent domain of love is the lover’s heart. Love is experienced, not just explained. It is the bond of time between the two hearts. It is an extremely intense feeling. There can’t be a better tool to explain the subject of love than the poetry. A sonnet deals with the lover’s suffering or enjoyment, mostly suffering. One’s hopes, aspirations and frustrations! The perfect understanding of the state of poet’s heart through his poems is not the easiest of the task.

A poet hides as much as he reveals. Sonnets besides owning special content always reveal something about the life of the poet as well and have relation to the time and situational element in the life of the poet. It is the interpretation of his experience. Shakespeare’s sonnets are twice blessed. He is profoundly affected by the Western literature, and Western literature in turn is profoundly affected by his sonnets. Each of his sonnet contains an independent story, have the element of dramatics, a personal theme.

The common element of his 4 sonnets under review, ‘Why is my verse is so barren of new pride,’ ‘Let me not to the marriage of true minds,’ ‘Th’ expenses of spirit in a water of shame,’ and ‘My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun,’ are dimensions of love. Shakespeare is the master in creating ‘love-hate’ moods in his sonnets. Is there a lady-love in his life? Sonnet 130, in which he states that “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun,” (Shakespeare, n. p.) is a pointer towards that direction.

The poet admits about his weakness for the women and he is not much elated about this trait and gives negative comparisons relating to his infatuation with her. This puts a question mark as for morals governing the life of Shakespeare but that does not in any way diminish the splendor or aura of love in his sonnets. His sonnets are deeply influenced by the writings of Italian Renaissance idol, Francis Petrarch. Apart from the technical aspects of the construction of the sonnet, what is important is its essence.

Content is more important than the container. In his sonnets he discusses the various stages of love and its final consummation. Themes are affected and tailored to the sonnet form. The effect of the powerful drama dialogues are experienced while reading the sonnets. (Shakespeare is well-known writer of dramas) built on different types of romantic love. One important issue related to the sonnets is they are not written in a free democratic society, wherein the writer has absolute freedom to write as per his inner call.

As per the custom prevailing in the Shakespeareans era and in the earlier centuries, the sonnets articulate poet’s feelings for their beloveds and their patrons. They are dedicated to wealthy noblemen who support the poets. Shakespeare also dedicates his sonnets to “Mr. W. H.” So also, dedication of some of the sonnets to the young man and to a dark lady remains as unresolved mystery related to the life of Shakespeare. He makes clear distinction between the idealized love and stark realities related to love-life in the secular world.

He deals with all the aspects of love in his sonnets, both positive and negative. He is an idealist as well as the realist. An emotional individual as well as the hard taskmaster! He admires love and resents some of its negative physical consequences. Lust and true love are poles apart. Sonnet 129 warns us about the dangers of lust and it turns humans “savage, extreme, rude, cruel (Shakespeare, n. p.) He advises his readers that love is a mean physical need which has the potentiality to lead to horrible consequences.

The concept of the sonnet sequence as a concessional narrative is first mooted by Francis Petrarch and his style is imitated by poets of the European countries, including William Shakespeare, more than two centuries later. This form of poetry is highlighted during the Renaissance and adopted as the model for lyrical poetry. Works Cited Shakespeare, William (1564-1616), n. d.