Difference Between Shakespeare And Thomas Gray

1149 Words3 Pages

Brian Baglioni

Professor Tague

BRL: Epic to Novel-01

11-20-15

Expanding Poetic Consciousness:

Shakespeare, Thomas Gray and Mary Collier

From the 16th century to the 18th century, the convention and content of

poetry was in flux. It was constantly subject to change as poets developed their own

unique understanding of the world around them, highlighting realities of the world

that were previously ignored or neglected and reflecting these ideas in their poetry.

Shakespeare, Thomas Gray and Mary Collier are examples of poets who challenged

the accepted traditions of poetic convention. They adapted their prose from the

poets that preceded them but not without exercising their own rendition in its

execution. Such poets were …show more content…

The sonnet convention “was often a celebration of the poet 's

‘wit,’ that is, of his ability to show his poetic skill in appropriating metaphors and

conceits,” and would often portray a “despairing lover writing to a lovely,

unattainable lady in words of reverent praise and worshipful adoration” (Ian

Johnston). Shakespeare, however, went against this trend. The disparity can be seen

in Sonnet 130. Shakespeare mocks the notion of poetic storytelling that the courtly

poets (Petrarch, Wyatt, Surrey, Donne) were in favor of, namely the heavily

idealized notion of a woman’s affection or sexual attraction. “My mistress’ eyes are

nothing like the sun” (Sonnet 130). The vying and struggle for the woman’s love is

not present in this Shakespearian sonnet. Instead, it is replaced by a more realistic

rendition of prose: it does not utilize metaphors or allusions like that of Sidney or

Petrarch, or the metaphysical conceits that Donne favored: “And in some

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