Shakespeare

MY SHAKESPEAREAN SONNET

index

Introduction

Shakespeare plays

'Sonnet 109'

Content, Analysis, Themes

Thanks

introduction

William Shakespare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, probably on April 23rd. His father was an important figure of the government of his town; his mother came form an important local family. Shakespeare studied at Stratford grammar school, but he didn’t go on to study at university. When he was eighteen he married Anne Hathaway and he had 3 child: Susanna and the twins Hamnet and Judith.

shakespeare's plays

Shakespeare’s plays are usually divided into four periods:

Third Period(from 1600 to 1608)

Second Period(from 1596 to the turn of the century)

Fourth period (from 1609 to 1612)

First period(from 1590 to 1595)

Shakespeare wrote his great tragedies. These plays have given world theatre unforgettable characters such as Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, and Macbeth

was a period of learning and experimentation. In these years Shakespeare wrote very different types of plays: Chronicle plays, comedies and two important tragedies.

The state of happy of his reflected in his works in the Fourth Period

he wrote his best comedies, including The Merchant of Venice or The Merry Wives of Windsor

sonnet '109'

O, never say that I was false of heart.

https://youtu.be/wjAlDK4s8dg

O, never say that I was false of heart, Though absence seem’d my flame to qualify. As easy might I from myself depart As from my soul, which in thy breast doth lie: That is my home of love: if I have ranged, Like him that travels I return again, Just to the time, not with the time exchanged,

So that myself bring water for my stain. Never believe, though in my nature reign’d All frailties that besiege all kinds of blood, That it could so preposterously be stain’d, To leave for nothing all thy sum of good; For nothing this wide universe I call, Save thou, my rose; in it thou art my all.

No, non dire mai che il mio cuore è stato falso anche se l’assenza sembrò ridurre la mia fiamma; come non è facil ch’io mi stacchi da me stesso, così è della mia anima che vive nel tuo petto: quello è il rifugio mio d’amore; se ho vagato come chi viaggia, io di nuovo lì ritorno fedelmente puntuale, non mutato dagli eventi, tanto ch’io stesso porto acqua alle mie colpe. Non credere mai, pur se in me regnassero tutte le debolezze che insidiano la carne, ch’io mi possa macchiare in modo tanto assurdo da perdere per niente la somma dei tuoi pregi: perché niente io chiamo questo immenso universo tranne te, mia rosa; in esso tu sei il mio tutto.

ITALIAN TRANSLATION

the content of the sonnet

"an expression of pure love and devotion unchanged by time and circumstance. "

Three times the poet declares that no matter where he may travel — both physically and in his thoughts — he will always return to the youth, for the young man is his alter ego. This theme of unity, which was a dominant theme in earlier sonnets, including the phrase “thou mine, I thine” from the previous sonnet, is expressed in the phrases “my soul, which in thy breast doth lie,” “That is my home of love,” and “thou art my all.” However, these sentiments seem more like responses to criticism of the poet’s having traveled away from the young man than they do sincere, impromptu declarations of affection.

Sonnet 109 begins a sequence of apologetic sonnets using the image of travel as a metaphor for the poet’s reduction of the attention he gives to the young man. He defends his absence against charges of infidelity and indifference. Beneath his apologetic manner, one detects an assertion of independence from the youth’s control: “O, never say that I was false of heart, / Though absence seemed my flame to qualify.” In other words, although the poet’s love for the youth never lessened, he would have been justified if it had.

Structure and Form

‘Sonnet 109’ by William Shakespeare is a fourteen-line Shakespearean sonnet that follows a consistent rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. It is written in iambic pentameter, the most common of all English meters. In iambic pentameter, each line contains five sets of two beats, known as metrical feet. The first is unstressed, and the second is stressed. It sounds something like da-DUM, da-DUM. The poem can also be divided into three sets of four lines and a final two-line couplet. The last couplet usually comes after the turn or volta. In this case, the couplet acts as a final summary of everything the poet’s speaker has said so far. In 'sonnet 109' Shakespeare makes use of several poetic techniques.

THEMES

Shakespeare engages with several common themes in ‘Sonnet 109.’ They are primarily love and constancy. He depicts the speaker, who is perhaps the poet himself, as someone who is as faithful as one could hope to be. That is, he always comes back to the Fair Youth whenever they are separated. He doesn’t make it clear what kind of separation this is, but he’s very determined that no one believes that his love has ever cool for the young man. It’s in the last lines of the poem that the speaker makes it clear that he’s never, in fact, going to lose his affection for the Youth. This young man is the entire world to him.

THANKS

Giulia Caporaso