Basic Literature

   Sonnet 141 by William Shakespeare. Introduction Sonnet 141 is addressed to the so called dark lady, the mistress, the subject of the Shakespeare's final 28 sonnets of the complete 154 sonnet sequence. Sonnet 141 is one of several sonnets that explore the theme of "eye against the heart" the rational mind against the emotional core. It focuses on the struggle between the speaker's sense and his heart. He knows his lover is not the most beautiful to look at; she hasn't the voice or smell or touch but nonetheless he's her tormented slave. He doted on her because he is religiously devoted, a nothing of a man without her. She is the cause of pain yet she makes it worthwhile. Overview Tone - confessional  theme - there are other reasons to attraction than physical features. narration - 1st person / written to the dark lady Lets study the poem  In the first quatrain, *** Shakespeare introduces a love which is beyond physical attraction. *** *** The speaker's o...

 Sonnet 73 by William Shakespeare. Introduction William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright and actor. He was born on 26th April 1564 in Stratford-Upon-Avon. In the poem, Shakespeare invokes a series of metaphors to characterize the nature of what he perceives to be his old age. Lets study the poem  In the first quatrain,           he tells the beloved that is age is like a "time of year", late autumn, when the leaves have almost completely fallen from the threes, and the weather has grown cold, and the birds have left their branches. in the second quatrain,          he then says that his age is like late twilight " as after sunset fadeth in the west ", and the remaining light is slowly extinguished in the darkness, which the speaker likens to " death's second life " in the third quatrain,           the speaker compares himself to the glowing remnants of a fire. which li...

Themes in Shakespearean sonnets.              Many important themes have been dealt by Shakespeare in his artistic works. The "time" is one of them. Effect of time                In general, Shakespeare dealt with idea of time and its adverse effect on the man, his life and poetic collection. Therefore, in the sonnet-18, the poet laments the possible effect of the time and destruction of the fair youth's beauty. Platonic love               Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets as a whole. 126 sonnets were addressed to the faith youth, 26 were dedicated to the dark lady and remaining were of the conventional type. The lack of explicit sexual expression in the sonnets for the fair youth has led many critics to characterize this relation as an evident example of platonic love. Religious references               Shakespeare inferred ma...

  Shakespeare in sonnet writing. (Examples are granted from “sonnet-18”) Introduction                         Shakespeare’s sonnets have almost all the poetic points to be discusses and criticized. Right from one issue to the other, each and every element of his poetry deserves special focus such as: the structure, form, devices, rhyme scheme, rhythm and the thematic concerns.   ·        Structure . Sonnet 18 is an example for typical Shakespearean style. Comprising three quatrains in Iambic pentameter ending in a heroic couplet. (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG)   It follows the tradition of dividing the sonnet in to two parts.   ·        The object of the sonnet. The poem (sonnet 18) begins with a philosophical/poetic question to compare “thee” (poet’s friend / fair youth).   ...

  Sonnets  Introduction What is a sonnet ?           Basically a sonnet is a fourteen-line poem written in Iambic pentameter. What are the types of sonnets ?           There are two types of sonnets; Petrarchan and Shakespearean. Features of two sonnet types  I will talk about the topic "Shakespeare in sonnet writing" in my next article. thank you !

Elizabethan era in literature Introduction                Body of works written during the reign of Elizabeth I of England(1558-1603), probably the most splendid age in the history of English literature, during which such writers as Sir Philip Sidney, Edmund Spenser, Roger Ascham, Richard Hooker and William Shakespeare flourished. The epithet Elizabethan is merely a chronological reference and does not describe any special characteristic of the writing.  The Elizabethan age saw the flowering of poetry. (The sonnet / The Spenserian stanza / Dramatic blank verse ) Golden age of drama. (Specially for the plays of Shakespeare) Inspired a wide variety of splendid prose. (From historical chronicles, versions of the holy scriptures, pamphlets and literary criticism to the firs English novels )             From about the beginning of the 17th century a sudden darken of tone became noticeable...

 Literary Eras. Introduction.           The Anglo-Saxon Germanic tradition is where English literature gets its start. The earliest and most well-known piece of Old English literature is Beowulf. Geoffrey Chaucer, considered the father of English literature, utilized Middle English, which had superseded Old English during the Norman conquest of England, in The Canterbury Tales. Because of his renowned plays and sonnets, William Shakespeare has come to be regarded as the most recognizable and greatest author in the history of English literature. Literary Eras. There are 7 main eras in English literature; Elizabethan era Metaphysical era Age of satire / Neoclassical era / Augustan age Romantic era Victorian era Modern era postmodern era I will talk about every era one by one in my future posts. Thank you