Blogger #3 - Ivan Chen - Period 9 - 4/12/21 - Day C

 Aim:How can further implementation of our poetry skills enhance our exploration of and analysis of Shakespearean Sonnets?

Do Now:WHOLE CLASS DISCUSSION

Consider the word “Summer”. What symbolic meanings or connotations are usually associated with this word? Why?

For our Do Now, we were asked to find things that were associated with the word Summer.We said summer has a positive connotation for students as it means a break for students.We associated Summer with leisure time/free time,fun and relaxation.

Structure of a Shakespearean Sonnet

-A Shakespearean Sonnet has 14 lines and is traditionally about love and romance.

-It is divided into 3 quatrains that are 4 lines each with a couplet at the end.

-The rhyme scheme follows a rhyme of ABAB with the couplet being CC.

-Sonnets are written in iambic pentameter.

-An iambic pentameter contains  5 lambic feet.

-A iambic foot is a word that contains 2 syllables,first being unstressed and the second being stressed.

Team Group Work

Sonnet Questions

After learning about Shakespearean Sonnets we read though and analysed Sonnet 18 and answered some questions .

1)In Quatrain One: According to the speaker, how does this subject compare to summer? Which does he prefer?

Our group answered that the speaker compares the subject to summer by telling them they are better than summer and he prefers the subject more.

2)In Quatrain Two: What are the problems the speaker has with summer?

1. What does line 7 mean (“and every fair from fair sometimes declines”)?

Our answer that the problems the speaker has with summer is that summer is too hot and that summer will eventually go away.Line 7 means that with time the subjects beauty will fade and that it is not everlasting.

3)In Quatrain Three: What is the main difference between the subject of the sonnet and summer? 

We answered that the main difference between the subject and summer is that summer will come back with its beauty but the subjects will fade.

4)Rhyming Couplet: Look at lines 13-14. What is the speaker saying in the conclusion of the sonnet? Does this confirm the messages expressed in the rest of the sonnet or alter them in some way?

Our group agreed that in the couplet at the end the speaker says that as long as he lives his love for the subject will never end.

5)What is the theme of this sonnet? 

1. What is the speaker’s attitude toward the subject?

The theme of this sonnet that our group agreed on is that love is everlasting and the speaker’s attitude towards the subject is very positive and loving.

Then we read though Sonnet 130 and answered some more questions

1)Identify the rhyme scheme (by marking the poem as previously done) using the letters A-G. 

2)In Quatrain One: How does the speaker describe his mistress?  What specific attributes does he reference?

The speaker describes his mistress very negatively,and the specific attributes he references are her breath,her lips and how she walks etc.

3)In Quatrain Two: How does the speaker speak to: her cheeks, and her breath?

The speaker describes her cheeks as having no color and her breath as reeking.

4)In Quatrain Three: How does the speaker address his mistress’ voice and walk?

1. How does this contrast with what most people would claim about their mistresses?

The Speaker describes her voice as terrible and that she walks loudly.This contrasts what most people who claim about their mistresses as most people would take good about their mistresses.

5)Rhyming Couplet: Look at lines 13-14. 

What is the speaker saying in the conclusion of the sonnet? Why does the poet think his love is rare?

1. How does the poet play with conventional stereotypes of love poetry?

The speaker in the couplet of the sonnet says that he still loves her and the reason why the poet thinks his love is rare because he still loves her despite all her bad qualities.The poet plays with conventional stereotypes of love poetry because he talks bad about his love.

6)How is the speaker's lover an inversion or parody (an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect) of the petrarchan (A Petrarchan lover is melodramatic, self-consciously suffering and has given himself up to the power of his mistress) and medieval lover? 

1. How has Shakespeare used juxtaposition, and for what purpose?

2. In what way(s) has the writer’s focus on physical beauty enhanced the emphasis and relevance on the theme for society at the time? 

3. How is this theme still relevant and prevalent today? 

This is a parody of love poems because love poems are supposed to talk about the good qualities of their love but this poem talks about the bad qualities of their love.And Shakespeare uses juxtaposition to emphasize the ugliness of the mistress.By focusing on physical beauty it enhanced the emphasis and relevance on the theme for society at the time,because the society at the time only cared about physical beauty instead of internal society.The theme is still relevant today because many people are only there for physical beauty of a girl.

Reflection

In this lesson I learned about Shakespearean Sonnets and the structure of the Sonnet.And read,analyzed and understood the Sonnets.The reason why we learned this is because of the many ideas and themes learned in the Sonnets and its influence in our culture today and more importantly learning and understanding the sonnets means we understand the use of figurative languages and the Elements of style in the sonnets.I will use what I learned to create a better understanding of sonnets and language in general and create my own Shakespearean Sonnet.