Shakespeare’s sonnets
Sonnet originates from italian word “sonneto” and means a lilltle song Four types of sonnets: Occitan Spenserian Italian or Petrarchan English or Shakespearean
Occitan sonnet: 13. Century conserved only in troubadour manuscript Spenserian sonnet : the English form of sonnet named after Edmund Spenser rhyme: abab, bcbc, cdcd, ee
Comparison Italian/ Petrarchan sonnet Created by Giacomo da Lentino named after most talented sonnet writer Petrarch (Petrarca) Two parts: 1) octave, where the problem is opened (two four-line stanzas) 2) sestet, where the solution is given(two three-line stanzas) rhyme scheme: Octave: a-b-b-a, a-b-b-a Sestet:c-d-e-c-d-e or c-d-c-c-d-c. English/ Shakespearean sonnet Genre is named after Shakespeare because he was the most known poet Devided into three quatrians (group of 4 lines) Also has a conclusion at the end of the sonnet rhyme scheme: a-b-a-b, c-d-c-d, e-f-e-f, g-g
Shakespeare’s sonnets Main subjects: love, time, beauty 154 sonnets form a collection named “Shake-speares sonnets” Believed to be Thomas Thorn
TO.THE.ONLIE.BEGETTER.OF. THESE.INSUING.SONNETS. Mr.W.H. ALL.HAPPINESSE. AND.THAT.ETERNITIE. PROMISED. BY. OUR.EVER-LIVING.POET. WISHETH. THE.WELL-WISHING. ADVENTURER.IN. SETTING. FORTH. T.T.
The Fair Youth The Dark Lady (153,154) The Rival Poet Characters
The Fair Youth sonnets Earliest sonnets talk about the benefits of love and marriage After the 18th sonnet the tone changes into love and passion towards to the young man (20th!) After 126th sonnet the young man is replaced by the Dark Lady
The Dark Lady (153,154) Is called “dark” because of her black hair and dark skin It is not certain who this lady excactly was Shakespeare describes her good and also bad features 153th and 154th differ from the earliers, these are based on Greek poems and tell a story of Cupid
The Rival Poet sonnets, within the Fair Youth series Identified as Christopher Marlowe or Goerge Chapman Has a competition with Shakespeare
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