SONNET XXIX

“When, in disgrace with fortune…”

Revision of the Sonnet FormRevision of the Sonnet FormSHAKESPEARE IN

ENGLANDPETRARCH IN ITALY

Both use 14 lines

SHAKESPEAREAN PETRACHAN

123456789

1011121314

QUATRAIN 1

2

3

RHYMING COUPLET

OCTAVE

SESTET

“VOLTA”

TURNING POINT

QUAD = 4QUARTERQUARTET

QUAD

OCT = 8OCTOPUS

SES = 6

RhythmRhythmA sonnet is written in iambic pentameter

Each line contains ten rhythmic beats (syllables)

“Let me not to the marriage of true minds”

An “iamb” or one “foot” consists of two beats

“Penta” = five: each line has five feet

RhythmRhythmA sonnet is written in iambic pentameter

“Let me not to the mar riage of true minds”

Each foot consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable – this produced the characteristic rhythm of the line

U U U U U/ / / / /

Rhyme SchemeRhyme SchemeShakespearean SonnetShakespearean Sonnet

Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea,But sad mortality o'er-sways their power,How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea,Whose action is no stronger than a flower?O, how shall summer's honey breath hold outAgainst the wreckful siege of battering days,When rocks impregnable are not so stout,Nor gates of steel so strong, but Time decays?O fearful meditation! where, alack,Shall Time's best jewel from Time's chest lie hid?Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back?Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid?O, none, unless this miracle have might,That in black ink my love may still shine bright.

ABABCDCDEFEFGG

Rhyme SchemeRhyme SchemePetrarchan SonnetPetrarchan Sonnet

Fourteen small broidered berries on the hemOf Circe’s mantle, each of magic gold;Fourteen of lone Calypso’s tears that rolledInto the sea, for pearls to come of them;Fourteen clear signs of omen in the gemWith which Medea human fate foretold;Fourteen small drops, which Faustus, growing old,Craved of the Fiend, to water Life’s dry stem.It is the pure white diamond Dante broughtTo Beatrice; the sapphire Laura woreWhen Petrarch cut it sparkling out of thought;The ruby Shakespeare hewed from his heart’s core;The dark, deep emerald that Rossetti wroughtFor his own soul, to wear for evermore.

ABBAABBACDCDCD

XXIX.

When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,I all alone beweep my outcast stateAnd trouble deaf heaven with my bootless criesAnd look upon myself and curse my fate,Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,Featured like him, like him with friends possess'd,Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,With what I most enjoy contented least;Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,Haply I think on thee, and then my state,Like to the lark at break of day arisingFrom sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;  For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings  That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,

I all alone beweep my outcast state

And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries

And look upon myself and curse my fate,

Out of favour with fate/chance/destiny

Bringing no advantage…

Useless

TONE?TONE?

PERSONIFICATIONRelationship with God?

OUTCAST: lonesome figure in relation to himself, society, fate and God

Social standing and opinion

Popularity and Reputation

PERSONIFICATIONOF FORTUNE

FEELINGS OF ISOLATION, DEPRESSION, REJECTION

AND LONELINESS – SOCIAL, SPIRITUAL AND

EMOTIONAL

Depressed

Self-pity

Self-loathing

Self-rejection

Despondent

When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,

I all alone beweep my outcast state

And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries

And look upon myself and curse my fate,

Searching for an explanation of his emotional state

Notice all the words suggesting negativity

Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,

Featured like him, like him with friends possess'd,

Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,

With what I most enjoy contented least;

With the same facial features

Having/possessing as many friends

Compares himself to others…wishes that he could have more hope…feels cheated and depressed…jealousy/envy…covets the attributes and abilities of others

DEPRESSED

ABILITY

SKILL

IRONY: finds himself most dissatisfied with that which he usually

enjoys most

RANGE OF ABILITIES OR SKILLS, TALENTS

Envy and discontent increase to

overpowering mood of personal

worthlessness and self

contempt

Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,

Haply I think on thee, and then my state,

Like to the lark at break of day arising

From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;

By chance…but also “happily”

Small brown bird

Unsmiling, sulking

CONJUNCTION – marks a change in the direction

of the argument

CHANGE OF MOOD: experiences renewed joy and optimism

SIMILE

And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries

He is mature enough to recognise theses feelings as jealousy and despises himself for

having these feelings

Connotations of renewal, rebirth, new beginnings

and new hope

Lark – first bird to sing at break of day – flies extremely high and sings

– lark song is also figurative - symbolic of poets soaring

emotional state and state of mind

Contrast and movement

suggest a new mood of elation

  For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings

  That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

Dismiss / treat with contempt

CONJUNCTION – introduces conclusion

to argument

• Notice how the mood changes• Starts out feeling depressed – becomes ecstatically happy

Rich in love –

emotional wealth

I all alone beweep my outcast state

Haply I think on thee, and then my state,Like to the lark at break of day arising

 That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

Lot in life

State of mind and spirit

Position or condition

Sonnet is structured around a series of contrasts:

BEWEEP

SULLEN EARTH

TROUBLE… WITH….

BOOTLESS CRIES

WISHING DESIRING

DESPISING

SINGS

HEAVEN’S GATE

SWEET LOVE

REMEMBERED

SCORN ARISING

Sonnet has structural elements of both the Shakespearean and the Petrachan sonnet:

• 3 quatrains: abab cdcd efef (one idea – 3 aspects)

• 1 couplet: gg (conclusion with sudden twist)

• Lines 1 – 8: depressions as a result of limitedness

• “Yet” – turning point

• Lines 9 – 14: remembers lover – spiritually uplited