An examination of the sonnet from Petrarch to Browning.
A sonnet is a poem, which traditionally contains the subject of love.
The creator of the sonnet was a man named Francesco Petrarca who was
usually referred to as Petrarch. Petrarch wrote many of his sonnets
based upon himself, and his lover, Laura. The conventional format of a
sonnet contains fourteen lines, and is segregated to illustrate two
arguments. Every sonnet takes the conventional format of fourteen
lines, although the way the arguments are split up, may be different.
For example, Petrarch and Elizabeth Barrett Browning's sonnet both
take the format of an octave and a sestet, whereas Shakespeare's
sonnet takes the format of three quatrains and a rhyming couplet. The
arguments usually comprise of love juxtaposed against its opposite.
For example, love versus hate, and love versus death.
I have chosen to compare three sonnets. I will compare the subject of
their sonnet, the form of the sonnet, and the way that they depict
their argument in their sonnet. For example, how they have set out the
sonnet, and their use of language. I have chosen to compare,
Petrarch's, "XLL," and Shakespeare's, "Sonnet 138," and Barrett
Browning's, "XLIII."
The three sonnets that I have selected all contain the subject of
love, but do not compose of the same aspect of love. The subject of,
"Sonnet XXL," is about a woman named Laura, with whom the author
Francesco Petrarch fell deeply in love with, even though she did not
return his affections. Shakespeare's, "Sonnet 138," is about the
experience of being in love. He writes from a masculine perspective,
describing his lover as, "Unchaste, unfaithful, and dishonest."
Elizabeth Barrett Browning's, "Sonnet XLIII,"...
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...ar the
most exceptional sonnet out of the three that I have chosen. I think
this because of his motivating subject, and the way he has used
different techniques of language and imagery. I think that his sonnet
depicts the subject of love very well. Petrarch's sonnet was the
second best sonnet out of the three, again for its subject. I felt
that it didn't compose of the same ingredients as Shakespeare's
sonnet, and it didn't contain as many uses of language and imagery as
Shakespeare's did. I found that Elizabeth Barrett Browning's sonnet
was not as good as the other two because of the way she used very
little language and imagery, and because of the way that her subject
was constant throughout the sonnet. All three sonnets portrayed their
subject well, and used many techniques such as imagery and rhyme,
which helped the reader understand each sonnet more.
Beethoven is viewed as a transitional figure between the classical and romantic eras and from 1800 to 1809 he write some of the most revolutionary compositions in the history of western music. This essay therefore will aim to discuss the numerous ways in which Ludwig Van Beethoven expanded the formal and expressive content of the high classical style he inherited.
Aaron Meadows Mrs. Gibson English January 28, 2015. Sonnets From The Portuguese In "Sonnets From The Portuguese", Elizabeth Barrett Browning uses all kinds of literary devices including imagery and poetic elements such as metaphorical phrases, it even goes outside the boundaries of a normal sonnet, still using these devices to translate her passionate feelings.
Every parent in this world loves their children more than anything. Even the children can’t stay away from their parents for so long. Nothing in this world could be more precious than the love of a parent has for his/her children. Our parents are always with us no matter what happens. Often in life we make mistakes, but our parents give us supports and teach us to learn from those mistakes and move on with our lives. They also try to teach us from their experience. Parents always make sacrifices to provide for their family. In the poem “Mother to Son” by Langston Huges and “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden, the poets talk about how the parents are always making sacrifices to make their children’s life a little bit easier. Both of these poems reveal the struggle the parents go through in order to provide for their family.
Amber Von Tussle was a bit weak vocally, yet too strong in her dancing for her character. Seaweed and Little Inez were marvellous singers, however their acting could have used work. Tracy Turnblad, I will admit, is a hard role to play. She is one of those characters everyone knows and everyone expects; Tracy is almost always played the same way, and it is difficult to break out of the stereotype. Her vocals were great, and her acting matched the character. She could have been a better dancer, but overall, Natalie Rotolo pulled off the role.
The Sonnet Genre Combining with Figurative Language Compare how the conventions of the sonnet genre combine with figurative language to create meaning in at least two texts. Originating in Italy, the sonnet was established by Petrarch in the 14th century as a major form of love poetry, and came to be adopted in England in the 16th century (Oxford Literary terms). Overtime there have been different types of sonnets written, for example the Italian (Petrarchan) sonnet, the English (Shakespearean) sonnet and the Spenserian sonnet. Each of these sonnets have there own conventions and use different types of poetic language to help create meaning for the reader. For the purpose of this essay we will look at how the conventions of sonnets combine specifically with figurative language to create meaning.
William Shakespeare’s sonnets are considered to be some of the most beautiful poems in English literature. Although little is known about the poet, many seem to put their focus on Shakespeare’s inner life; wondering why he wrote the things he did. William Shakespeare is mostly known for his plays; however, he did accomplish a lot in poetry. William Shakespeare was powerful with his words, and knew how to express things in great depth. Why or who he wrote about is still a mystery. Scholars only know so much about his life, and are still trying to put the unknown pieces together.
Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven. Two composers who marked the beginning and the end of the Classical Period respectively. By analysing the last piano sonata of Haydn (Piano Sonata No. 62 in E-flat major (Hob. XVI:52)) and the first and last piano sonatas of Beethoven (Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor Op. 2, No.1, Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor Op. 111), this essay will study the development of Beethoven’s composition style and how this conformed or didn’t conform to the Classical style. The concepts of pitch and expressive techniques will be focused on, with a broader breakdown on how these two concepts affect many of the other concepts of music. To make things simpler, this essay will analyse only the first movements of each of the sonatas mentioned.
Love is the ubiquitous force that drives all people in life. If people did not want, give, or receive love, they would never experience life because it is the force that completes a person. Although it often seems absent, people constantly strive for this ever-present force as a means of acceptance. Elizabeth Barrett Browning is an influential poet who describes the necessity of love in her book of poems Sonnets from the Portuguese. In her poems, she writes about love based on her relationship with her husband – a relationship shared by a pure, passionate love. Browning centers her life and happiness around her husband and her love for him. This life and pure happiness is dependent on their love, and she expresses this outpouring and reliance of her love through her poetry. She uses imaginative literary devices to strengthen her argument for the necessity of love in one’s life. The necessity of love is a major theme in Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “Sonnet 43” and “Sonnet 29.”
Division of the Body and Soul John Donne's "The Funeral" and "Holy Sonnet 3" are undeniably similar in their discussions of the separation of the body and soul. Each poem deals directly with the idea of death and afterlife. However, the topic of death is referred to not as an ending but more of as a beginning to a new life, exclusively for the soul. Each poem reflects the soul being released from the body as a way of cleansing the spirit while allowing the mind to rid itself of things that might have troubled the speaker while living. Through death the soul is given a second life, free of previous concerns and with new virginity to the blessings of the afterlife.
This is an enjoyable sonnet that uses nature imagery, found extensively in Petrarca, that Shakespeare uses to get his point across. Not much explication is needed, aside the sustained images of nature, to fully understand its intent, but I would like to point out a peculiar allusion. When reading line 3, "the violet past prime" has made me think of Venus and Adonis. In the end, Adonis melts into the earth and a violet sprouts where his body was, which Venus then places in her heart, signifying the love she has for him. Reading this into the poem makes the few following lines more significant. Having Adonis portrayed as the handsome youth, Shakespeare is alluding to the death of youth (in general and to the young man) through the sonnet. In the next line, it is not certain if "sable" is an adjective or a noun and if "curls" is a noun, referring to hair (which is plausible) or a verb modifying "sable." Invoking the allusion to Adonis here, Shakespeare portends that if Adonis did live longer, he too would have greying hair; thus, Shakespeare sees ["behold"] an Adonis figure, the young man, past his youth.
and have as much power as men . When this poem was created, women were
At the time of its writing, Shakespeare's one hundred thirtieth sonnet, a highly candid, simple work, introduced a new era of poems. Shakespeare's expression of love was far different from traditional sonnets in the early 1600s, in which poets highly praised their loved ones with sweet words. Instead, Shakespeare satirizes the tradition of comparing one's beloved to the beauties of the sun. From its opening phrase "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun", shocks the audience because it does not portray a soft, beautiful woman. Despite the negative connotations of his mistress, Shakespeare speaks a true woman and true love. The sonnet is a "how-to" guide to love.
In Charlotte Smith’s Elegiac Sonnets, Smith uses nature as a vehicle to express her complex emotions and yearning for a renewal of her spirit. Utilizing the immortal characteristics of spring and the tempestuous nature of the ocean, Smith creates a poetic world that is both a comfort and a hindrance to her tortured soul. Even while spring can provide her with temporary solace and the ocean is a friend in her sorrow, both parts of nature constantly remind her of something that she will never be able to accomplish: the renewal of her anguished spirit and complete happiness in life once more. Through three of her sonnets in this collection, Smith connects with the different parts of nature and displays her sensible temperament with her envy over nature’s ability to easily renew its beauty and vitality.
“The rose embodies only the perfect moment that intervenes between fulfillment and decay. Describing it, Shakespeare makes no attempt to speak in a biographical voice, or that of a dramatically defined persona. It is simply “we” who speak, as the voice of a consensus, and our desire for preserving the flower’s beauty is no less natural than its coming decline. Such a confluence, using “we” to unite temporarily speaker, reader, and the ordinary world, has a justification of its own” (Weiser, 3).
In our class we have been discussing sonnet cxxx. Many of my classmates believe that Shakespeare was saying that, although this girl is ugly, he still loves her. While others claim that he was not making any statements about her looks, but instead being realistic. It is my view that he was making a point of claiming that his girlfriend was a regular person and not a mythological goddess.