NOTE: The Paper #1 assignment is posted BELOW this one if you missed class on Thursday, or lost your hard copy.
Read Sonnets 55, 59, 62, 71, 73,80, 86, 87, 91, 94, 106, 110
Answer TWO of the following:
Q1: Do you see more evidence in these sonnets of the lover's identity? Is he a fellow actor? A gentleman? Another poet? An
older man? Younger? Where do we find hints of who this person is, and why his
identity (as well as his sex) might make their relationship a difficult one to
pursue?
Q2: In some of the earlier sonnets, we saw evidence of a
love triangle between the poet, his lover, and his mistress. Now we see a
fourth person enter the picture: who could this person be, and why does he pose
a significant threat to the poet?(Hint: Sonnets 80, 86)
Q3: Repeating this question from the last set of questions:
discuss a single line or even a word in ONE Sonnet that seems to change the meaning
of the entire poem. This could be a word/line you don’t understand (or needed
the help of the notes to understand); or it could be a word/line that just have
multiple meanings and could be read in different ways. Explain how the
word/line works in the context of the poem.
Q4: Since these poems are believed by some to be autobiographical,
or confessional in nature, do we get a sense of Shakespeare’s personal
philosophy or beliefs in these poems? What does he think is moral or ethical?
Good and worthy? Bad and shameful? Does he strike you as judgmental or
compassionate? Proud or humble? Introverted or extroverted? Etc.
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