Strange Love Poems

Shakespeare Gets Unconventional! “My Mistress’ Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun” p. 501 Also known as “Sonnet 130” The Shakespeare Sonnet we discussed last class, Sonnet 116, which was about love as a concept. This sonnet follows a much more conventional form for sonnets—that is, it is about a specific woman and is written to praise her. HOWEVER, the way in which Shakespeare praises his “dark lady” is anything but conventional….

A sonnet has 14 lines rhyme scheme The first 12 lines are ABAB 3 quatrains Groups of 4 lines My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. With a closing couplet And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare. Sums things up! http://marrasouk.com

But in his unconventional love poem Shakespeare In a conventional love poem the writer would exaggerate how beautiful his mistress is: My mistress' eyes are more fantastic than the sun; But in his unconventional love poem Shakespeare underplays how beautiful his mistress is: What effect does this line have on the reader? “My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;” Does it make us wonder what her eyes are like? My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; He has turned around the convention of exaggerated praise http://marrasouk.com

He carries on with the unconventional approach in the next lines desirable feature Her lips aren't red Pink-orange colour Coral is far more red than her lips' red Something of a cliche The conventional Grey brown colour If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun Is he saying she is not beautiful or is he saying she is beautiful in a different way? http://marrasouk.com

In the next lines he moves on to describe other physical features If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. So she is not conventionally beautiful Gold wires were used in head-dress and compared to golden hair Blondes were more highly rated mixed I have seen roses damask'd, red and white Is he disparaging his mistress or do these lines enhance the idea of unconventional beauty? But she doesn’t have this complexion But no such roses see I in her cheeks; http://marrasouk.com

The author moves from how she looks to how she smells And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. Smells- the word didn’t have a negative meaning in Shakespeare’s time He’s not saying the smell of her breath is unpleasant - just that perfume smells sweeter In conventional love poems you would say her breath was sweeter than perfume But Shakespeare takes an unconventional approach http://marrasouk.com

The next feature is the sound of her voice I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound; He’s not being critical of her voice: all he’s saying is that music has a more pleasing sound In the conventional love poem the writer would say that her voice was sweeter than music http://marrasouk.com

The poet describes how his mistress walks I admit to you I’ve never seen a goddess walk I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground: My mistress walks like anyone else, on the ground, rather than floating through the air In a conventional love poem she would be described as a goddess He’s stressing his mistress is no goddess. http://marrasouk.com

So does the poet think that his mistress is beautiful or what? The last 2 lines tell us Direct statement, telling us what he thinks exceptional And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare. For emphasis The poet thinks she’s beautiful but doesn’t want to describe her in a cliched way. She is as beautiful as any woman who is praised with false comparisons http://marrasouk.com

Margaret Atwood: “You Fit Into Me” p. 526 This short poem works by upsetting the reader’s conventional expectations. What positive associations does Atwood expect readers to have with the phrase “you fit into me”? This poem works in three parts, each unsettles the readers conventional expectations further: “like a hook into an eye” – AT FIRST refers to clothing clasp called “hook and eye clasp—most common on bras: The minimalism of the 3rd and 4th lines are meant to shock the reader What is the outlook on love in this poem?

Metaphysical Poetry The Metaphysical Poets were active during the 17th century (the 1600's). They were, above all, concerned with inventiveness and ingenuity of metaphor, (remember our discussion of "wit" from earlier) and they fully explored the implications of saying that two unlike things are the same. This tends to make the metaphors and similes in metaphysical poetry very striking and unusual. John Donne and Andrew Marvell are two of the most recognizable Metaphysical poets. Check out Andrew Marvell’s love poem “To His Coy Mistress”

"The Flea" by John Dunne p.672 What is the argument that this poem makes? (and YES, it is a strange one…) How does the poet use the death of the flea to enhance that argument? How does this poem fit in with the definition of “metaphysical” poetry we just learned?

Extra Credit Writing Bonus: Write a “love poem” using as many "disgusting" words as you can. Possible GROSS word list: Wormy Bloody Oozing Pimple Puss Moist Slime Mucus Rust Moldy Rotting

Homework for Next Tuesday: How to Get Your Short Story Reading: “To Build a Fire” by Jack London http://london.sonoma.edu/Writings/LostFace/fire.html Make sure you copy this address EXACTLY (with the capitals) or it won’t work!!

Homework for Tuesday Tuesday, March 17—Topics: Themes Across Genres: Nature Homework Due: Read Short Story and Respond: Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” http://london.sonoma.edu/Writings/LostFace/fire.html Read introduction “Poems About Nature p. 629-630 (652-653 in the 7th) Read 2 Poems and choose 1 to respond: William Wordsworth “I wandered lonely as a cloud” page 630, (653 in the 7th) William Stafford “Traveling through the Dark” page  635 (656-7 in the 7th)

Homework for Thursday Thursday, March 17 Homework Due: Topics: Nature Poems. Nature as Reflection of Humanity. Homework Due:  Read 4 Poems and Choose 2 to Respond: Matthew Arnold “Dover Beach” p. 657 (677 in 7th) Langston Hughes “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” p. 686 (702 in 7th) Mary Oliver “Wild Geese” p. 634 (alternate Mary Oliver poem in 7th “Sleeping in the Forest” p. 654) Robert Frost “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” p. 680 (697 in 7th)