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| Image of William Shakespeare (from shakespeare.mit.edu) |
William Shakespeare1564-1616
Sonnet 18: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?…”
This is one of Shakespeare’s most famous and widely read sonnets. First, it is important to understand the images and metaphors that are being presented here in Sonnet 18. Immediately, the comparison between an individual and a “summer day” are presented and this abstract metaphor continues throughout the poem. However, Shakespeare writes, “Thou art more lovely and more temperate,” which indicates that the speaker believes whoever they are addressing is even better than summer – which is saying a lot (2). In addition, the line, “And summer’s lease hath all too short a date,” reveals that summer’s beauty is fleeting, while the beauty of the person “shall not fade” (4, 9). This notion that the person’s beauty is eternal and will forever be preserved establishes a literary consciousness in the poem. Shakespeare addresses the poem itself – “When it eternal lines to time thou grow’st” – and continues to write, “So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, / So long lives this, and this gives life to thee,” which remarkably states that as long as this sonnet remains in history, the individual’s beauty will always be lasting and never forgotten (13-14). Shakespeare is in a way predicting that this love sonnet of his will stand the test of time, which says something about literature in general. Not only is this sonnet enjoyable to read, but it speaks to the truth of the power of writing and how it can actually immortalize a person forever (something extremely extraordinary, but beautiful at the same time).
Sonnet 130: “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun…”
This sonnet is peculiar in that Shakespeare establishes a literary consciousness by satirizing rudimentary Petrarchan similes and metaphors used to describe the beauty of a woman. There is a degree of wit and humor in this poem, especially in the lines, “And in some perfumes is there more delight / Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks” (7-8). By making this an anti-Petrachan sonnet, Shakespeare is alluding to a famous poet (Petrarch) and also illuminating how his description of a woman’s beauty is different – it is more genuine and real. Shakespeare believes it is ridiculous how poets like Petrarch and his contemporaries are claiming false things about beauty. “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare / As any she belied with false compare,” illustrates Shakespeare’s belief that his woman is better because she is real and not fake like the females portrayed in Petrachan sonnets (13-14). Here, Shakespeare’s allusion to other poets brings up the idea of reality in literature and whether or not a reader can determine what is truth and what is fiction. Ultimately, the answer lies with the writer, but Shakespeare does a sound job in Sonnet 130 by depicting a certain literary consciousness in order to prove his point about beauty.
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| Image of Sir Philip Sidney (from Poetry Foundation) |
Sir Philip Sidney1554-1586
Sonnet 1: “Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show…”
This poem exemplifies a literary consciousness extremely well since the poet is writing about the nature of writing. “Studying inventions fine, her wits to entertain, / Oft turning others’ leaves, to see if thence would flow,” are two lines that establish the point that the speaker of the poem is seeking inspiration for writing by looking at other writers, however he/she comes to the realization that inner feelings – “‘look in they heart and write'” – prove to be the greatest inspirations for writing (6-7, 14). This being said, Sidney shows that writers have a certain level of self-consciousness about their own writing compared to others. This is significant since it shows the delineation from following the norm to practicing writing what comes from the individual. This consciousness shows that literature is individualized and personal, but can span across different generations and age groups. Furthermore, it’s important to take in account other writers – which is a technique writers today use to gain inspiration and ideas – but Sidney’s belief that the purest and strongest inspirations are within one’s heart show that literature is very much a written expression of pathos.
Sonnet 5: “It is most true that eyes are formed to serve…”
This sonnet by Sidney addresses many philosophical, religious, and romantic ideologies of his time by addressing the man-made creation of idols/images that people end up worshipping. “The inward light, and that the heavenly part / Ought to be king, from whose rules who do swerve,” presents the idea that reason/understanding (i.e. “inward light”) should be the guiding forces for a person to live justly and religiously, not “Cupid’s dart” or other manufactured images (2-3, 5). This very Protestant, anti-Catholic poem shows that people lose focus of their purpose in life and as the poem progresses, the idea that physical beauty is a “shade” mixed with mortal elements – “Which elements with mortal mixture breed” – and will never last is established (10-11). However, the speaker still loves “Stella” and cannot help the facts that he has stated (14). Overall, this poem addresses a myriad of ideologies that shows the ability literature has to speak the truth about the physical world. This literary awareness is important because it does combat the question that Sidney himself battled in this sonnet – what is actually reality and what should one believe? All in all, this is a very intriguing sonnet that shows the fascinating qualities of questioning one’s purpose in life, supporting the idea that literature has many powers more than just creating interesting stories.
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| Image of Edmund Spenser (from Poetry Foundation) |
Edmund Spenser1552-1599
Sonnet 1: “Happy ye leaves when as those lily hands…”
This sonnet by Spenser exemplifies the use of a literary consciousness in poetry. The phrases “Happy ye leaves” and “happy lines” and “happy rymes” are all addressing the actual poem, which is very interesting (1, 5, 9). The intention of Spenser’s to formally address the poem is to serve the purpose of creating an image of a woman pursuing the actual poem. The “leaves” (pages) and “lines” and “rymes” are all happy because they are being read by this wonderful woman. The final couplet, “Leaves, lines, and rhymes, seeke her to please alone, / Whom if ye please, I care for other none,” articulates the point that the poem itself – he’s personifying the poem – is content to please the reader and does not seek other satisfaction but only to be read by this special individual. What Spenser is doing here in this poem is extremely intriguing and clever: through this extended metaphor he is addressing literary creation and illustrating the power of poetry indirectly. Not only is this poem clever and beautiful, but it develops the idea that literature can serve more of a purpose than to just entertain: it can describe the undesirable and forever preserve human thoughts/emotions. A modern reader reading this poem can instantly connect to the romantic emotions that are emanating from this very poem – making the reader feel something undesirable (a feat no other subject besides literature can achieve). On the whole, this poem speaks from the point of view of the poem, which undoubtedly shows a literary consciousness that spans the test of time.
Sonnet 74: “Most happy letter fram’d by skillful trade…”
In this sonnet, Spenser alludes to multiple Elizabeths (his lover, Queen Elizabeth, and his mother). The speaker establishes a literary consciousness by explaining how these “happy names” were written through ages of letters and now are being thought of and different recollections of the three Elizabeths are emerging (2). His lover Elizabeth helped raise his spirit “out of dust” and he is praising her along with the other two in this poem (10). A literary consciousness comes in the form of praise also – the speaker is recognizing why he adores all three Elizabeths through writing and it was writing that preserved all their names (i.e. letters). Here, Spenser is demonstrating another example of immortalizing these women by writing about their greatness. The speaker has obtained happiness by writing their names on letters over the years, which again supports the point that literature is significant and beneficial – it makes one feel and conjure up numerous emotions. Literature does not just purely entertain, rather is intrigues and amazes. Recalling the name Elizabeth written on many letters make the speaker satisfied and fulfilled in a certain way.
Sonnet 75: “One day I wrote her name upon the strand…”
Again, this sonnet of Spenser’s illustrates the immortalizing quality of writing. The speaker in the poem is writing “her name upon the strand” and observing it being “washed away” by the tide (1-2). The woman in the poem calls the speaker (the man) a “vayne man” for it is foolish for a mortal being to try to immortalize something since everything – like myself she says – will “decay” (5-7). However, the speaker has different ideas: he believes the woman’s beauty/love/greatness will live on “by fame” due to this poem (10). This is a magnificent little poem that has a clear narrative and also shows a literary consciousness that Shakespeare/Sidney touched upon: writing has the ability to immortalize something or someone and nothing else can do that (arguably). One may argue that this is why literature is so salient to every generation and the wellness of society: literature has the undeniable unique quality of forever existing and being outwardly and objectively expressed compared to other human enterprises. Overall, this is a beautiful sonnet that captures an awareness of the dominance of literature in human preservation.