Friday, January 7, 2011

An Analysis of "Sonnet 75" By Edmund Spenser


“Sonnet 75”, written by Edmund Spenser, has some shared characteristics as well as differences compared to a tweet and a novel. A tweet is usually a short phrase or sentence that describes one’s current feeling or problem and the writer may or may not follow conventional use of grammar and punctuation. A novel is usually at least several pages long and consists of a problem or issue that must be solved. In addition, a novel usually contains grammatically correct language. A sonnet is fourteen lines long and depicts a problem that the writer expresses, and it allows the writer to first describe the issue and arrive at a conclusion at the ending couplet. Expectations for a tweet are to satiate public curiosity and give a window into a person’s everyday life, whereas the expectations for a novel are to entertain. I think the expectations for a sonnet are to provide insight into the emotions that a writer wishes to convey and perhaps provide advice for readers.
            In Spenser’s “Sonnet 75”, he introduces his problem of keeping the memory of his loved one alive through writing by using rhyme and rhythm. He expresses his problem by using a Spenserian rhyme scheme to create flow in his sonnet. In particular, he uses strong verbs like “immortalize” and “eternize” to stir the emotions of the reader. The common thread between these strong verbs are synonyms and refer to the continuity of time: immortalize is to keep alive forever, eternize is everlasting, and renew is to rejuvenate and make it right again. He also creates rhythm by incorporating words that his lover utters to draw the reader in to emotions felt in the past. The last couplet solves the problem of eternally remembering his loved one by saying that time ravishes all things, except the writing that highlights their love.

2 comments:

  1. I agree with just about everything you said here, and you made some really good points. It was interesting to think about how both tweets and sonnets can use irregular grammar and punctuation and I liked your idea about tweets and sonnets both allowing for the reader to gain insight into the writer's emotions/life. I would just like to add that I think the expectations for all three of these sources (tweets, novels and sonnets) are also to affect the reader in some way, either directly, by telling him/her what to believe, or indirectly, by making him/her think a little extra about a certain idea. Also, I enjoyed reading your analysis about the rhyme scheme and importance in this sonnet because in Petrarch's Sonnet XXXV that I analyzed those aspects are not nearly as prevalent. I find it interesting how sonnets, that seem to follow such strict guidelines in form, can still be so different from one another. And finally, I especially appreciate the use of quotes in this sonnet because, like you said, it draws the reader in (it certainly drew me in) and overall makes the sonnet more accessible and enjoyable.

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  2. I liked how you examined Spencerian rhyming in highlighting some of the strong words and thus emotions that the author probably wanted to convey. To expand on it, I liked the ABAB rhyming in the first four lines, because they accentuated the longing of the lover through his repeated fleeting attempt to write his lover's name. Then the lover's voice is written in one rhyming scheme while the author protests in another. In this case, I feel like rhyming not only distinguishes the two voices, but also highlights the disagreement the author feels toward love. Then as you mentioned, the last couplet rhyming concludes the sonnet by proposing the solution the this problem of fleeting life and love. I never paid too much attention to rhyming before, and it truly is interesting how rhyming can help us see more colors and emotions of a sonnet than simply for easier memorization!

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