Analyzing Shakespearean Sonnets

Sonnet Structure

• A Shakespearean sonnet has 14 lines, divided into three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and one final couplet (two-line stanza).
• The first quatrain typically poses a problem or question, while the last part responds to the problem or answers the question.

Sonnet 29

• The first quatrain portrays a speaker who is in "disgrace" with Fortune, feeling unhappy, alone, and unheard by heaven.
• The speaker curses their fate and is envious of what others have.
• The second quatrain discusses how the speaker wishes their life should be, with more friends and hope.
• The third quatrain marks a shift in thought and tone, with the speaker focusing on what they are grateful for, specifically their beloved.
• The final couplet concludes the poem, expressing that the love shared with the beloved is enough wealth.

Themes and Imagery

• The poem explores the speaker's unhappiness with their life and their feelings of isolation.
• The speaker uses auditory imagery to express their isolation, feeling that "deaf heaven" does not hear their sadness.
• The poem features a poetic shift, marked by the word "yet" in line 9, where the speaker's tone changes from despairing to grateful.
• The image of the lark, a symbol of hope, rising freely into the morning sky, symbolizes the speaker's improved disposition.

Volta and Meaning

• The volta, or poetic shift, occurs in the last six lines of the poem, marked by the transition word "yet".
• The volta marks a change in topic, idea, or sentiment within a poem, and in this case, it marks a shift from hopeless to grateful.
• The poem shows that the power of love can change one's mindset, and that focusing on feelings of appreciation and the positive aspects of life can overcome feelings of isolation and despair.

Isolation

• The speaker feels despondent and discouraged about life, focusing on negative aspects.
• The speaker is in "disgrace," "alone," and feels dejected and rejected by his own faith.
• The feeling of isolation is an internalized feeling of hopelessness that comes with a heavy weight and leaves the speaker in solitude.

Despair

• The speaker's expression of jealousy highlights feelings of despair, desiring to be "rich in hope" and "with friends."
• The speaker focuses on the deficit, unaware of his own blessings, and desires "this man's art and that man's scope."
• Sorrow can be consuming, and in "Sonnet 29" it consumes the speaker almost to the point of no return.

Love

• Love is a powerful force that can pull one from the depths of depression and into a state of joy and gratitude.
• The speaker's thoughts of love change their life perspective, revealing an ascent from sadness as both mental and emotional states rise.
• The power of love in the face of despair is immense and can change one's life, giving purpose and proving that life's struggles are worthwhile.
• The speaker's awareness of something beyond sadness gives them purpose and proves that life's struggles are worthwhile.

Learn about the structure and meaning of Shakespearean sonnets, including the division into quatrains and couplets, and how to interpret the underlying meaning.