William Shakespeare

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1. 
   luannw Teacher
   High School - 11th Grade

   The Shakespearean sonnet is composed of four quatrains and a rhyming couplet at the end that is usually a commentary on what has been said in the previous 12 lines.  Shakespeare uses this form to create an opposition, or contrast, in sonnet #29.  This first 8 lines are building up to a high point of excitement, or anguish depending on how it's viewed, then the next four lines serve as an opposition to those first 8.  In the first 2 quatrains. Shakespeare is lamenting his feelings of despair.  He feels that he is not as good or as fortunate as others and it depresses him. The third quatrain then says that he despises this type of feeling in himself especially when he remembers how lucky he is to have his love.  The couplet at the end then says that when he does remember his love, he realizes he wouldn't trade places with kings.  He goes from one feeling great sadness and depression to one realizing how lucky and happy he is and he is scornful of himself for feeling such self-pity.

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/sonnets

   http://www.enotes.com/sonnets/sonnet-29

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   Posted by luannw on Wednesday June 25, 2008 at 6:37 AM
   
   

2. 
   sullymonster Teacher
   Community / Jr. College

   The contrary states of mind are of that of envy versus contentment.  In the first half of the sonnet, the speaker is envious.  He feels that he is "all alone" and that he is in an "outcast state".  He wishes that he were "like to one more rich in hope" and desires "this man's art" and "that man's scope."  In other words, he wants to be everyone except who he currently is.

   However, luckily for this speaker, he has a young friend to turn his envy into contentment.  When he thinks of his friend, he is "like to the lark", a simile meaning that his spirits soar and sing.  At these thoughts, he doesn't even want to change his life with a king's.  He is pleased.

   Shakespeare first uses transitions to take the audience from the envy to the contentment.  He starts with "when" to indicate only certain times, then uses the transition "yet" in line 9 to indicate a contrast to what has come before, and finally uses the word "then" in line 10 to show the change from one state to another.

   Additionally, Shakespeare uses contradictions in his description to emphasize the contrasting states of mind.  From "sullen earth" to "heaven's gate", and "deaf heaven" to "bootless cries", the audience has enough "this" (this man) and "that" (that man) to be consistently reminded that the speaker's state of mind is two-fold and contrasting.

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/sonnets/sonnet-29

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   Posted by sullymonster on Wednesday June 25, 2008 at 8:22 AM
   
   

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