Edgar Allan Poe and the Sonnet Form - David-glen Smith Allan Poe and the Sonnet Form. 2 Sonnet Form ... The remaining lines of the sonnet introduce a confusing character: ... 18 Sonnet

101.02.12 || English 2327: American Literature I || D. Glen Smith, instructor

Edgar Allan Poe and the Sonnet Form

2

Sonnet Form


Historical Overview

• evolvedovercenturies;enduredforover700years

• originallydevisedasalyric,developedinsouthernFrance,northernItaly

• creationandtraditionallyattributedtoFrancescoPetrarch,

(July20,1304–July19,1374)theFatherofHumanism—

howeveritisclearhepopularizedtheformduringhislifetime

Sonnet Defined

•Thesonnetisapoemcomposedwitharecognizedformula

andisconcernedwithasinglethoughtortheme,andmayhavea

secondarytheme.

•ThetermmeanslittlesonginItalian

3

Sonnet Form


Types of Sonnets

Becauseofitspopularity,thepoemhastransformedovertime,retaining

importantcategorizingelements,yetmetamorphosingsomecomponents.

Common forms:

•Italiansonnet >orPetrarchansonnet

•Englishsonnet >orShakesperiansonnet

•Spenseriansonnet

•Blanksonnet >orafree-versesonnet

4

Sonnet Form


Basic Characteristics of Traditional Sonnet

•fourteenlines

•chosenrhymeschemeandstrategicmeter

•aturnorshiftintheme(referredtoasthevolta)

Important Terms

•octave eightlines ||Forsonnetsthefirsteightlinescarryatheme.

•sestet sixlines ||Theremainingsixlinescantwistthetheme.

•tercet threelines

•quatrain fourlines

•couplet twolines

5

Sonnet Form


Charles Simic || History

Onagrayevening

Ofagraycentury,

Iateanapple

Whilenoonewaslooking.

Asmall,sourapple

Thecolorofwoodfire,

WhichIfirstwiped

Onmysleeve. 8

ThenIstretchedmylegs

Asfarasthey’dgo,

Saidtomyself

Whynotclosemyeyesnow

BeforetheLate

WorldNewsandWeather. 14

}

}

octave: in this case composed of two quatrains

sestet:in this case composed of a quatrain and a couplet

Simic,Charles.“History.”The Making of a Sonnet: A Norton Anthology. EdwardHirschandEavanBoland,eds.NewYork:W.W.Norton.2008.Print.

6

Sonnet Form


•Boththeoctaveandthesestetcontainparallelthemes,

ortwostorieswhicharerelatedtooneanother.

• Typicallytheoctavepresentsasituation,event,image,orgeneralization

andthesestetpresentsareflectionormeditationontheprevioussection,

areaction,oraresult.

To simplify, these poems can appear, when poorly written, over-dramatic,

pathos driven, scenes filled with heaving bosoms, and self-centered whining.

When well-crafted, the poems share a common story of lost love with the reader.

7

Sonnet Form


The Italian Rhyme Scheme

A A

B B

B A

A B

A A

B B

B A

A B

C C

D D

E C

C C

D D

E C

}

}

octave: in this case composed of two quatrains

sestet:in this case composed of two tercets

8

Sonnet Form


English or Shakespearean Sonnet

TheEarlofSurrey,HenryHoward,inventedwhatisnowknownas

theEnglishorShakespeareanSonnet.

• followsoctave+sestetformulaslightly

• allowsforthreesetsofquatrainswithindividualrhymes

• anindependentcouplet,whichservesasaneffective“moral”tothepoem

• traditionallyfollowsiambicpentameter

9

Sonnet Form


Henry Howard(1517–19January1547)

Complaint of the Lover Disdained

InCyprussprings,whereasDameVenusdwelt, A 5

Awellsohot,thatwhosotastesthesame, B 5

Wereheofstone,asthawediceshouldmelt, A 4.5

Andkindledfindhisbreastwithfixedflame; B 4.5

Whosemoistpoisondissolvedhathmyhate. C 4.5

Thiscreepingfiremycoldlimbssoopprest, D 5

Thatintheheartthatharbour’dfreedom,late: C 5

Endlessdespairlongthraldomhathimprest. D 5

Anothersocoldinfrozeniceisfound, E 5.5

Whosechillingvenomofrepugnantkind, F 5

TheferventheatdothquenchofCupid’swound, E 5

Andwiththespotofchangeinfectsthemind; F 5

Whereofmydearhathtastedtomypain: G 5

Myservicethusisgrownintodisdain. G 5

}

}

octave

sestet

Surrey,HenryHoward,Earlof.The Poetical Works of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. Boston:Little,BrownandCompany,1854.Print.

Rhyme scheme||Meter

10

Sonnet Form


Emund Spenser(1552—1599)

fromAmoretti ||IX

LongwhileIsoughttowhatImightcompare

Thosepowerfuleyes,whichlightenmydarksight,

YetfindInoughtonearthtowhichIdare

Resembleth’imageoftheirgoodlylight.

Nottothesun,fortheydoshinebynight;

Nortothemoon,fortheyarechangednever;

Nortothestars,fortheyhavepurersight;

Nortothefire,fortheyconsumenotever;

(octave ends/sestet begins; Spenser blurs the two together)

Nortothelightning,fortheystillpersever;

Nortothediamond,fortheyaremoretender;

Noruntocrystal,farnoughtmaythemsever;

Noruntoglass,suchbasenessmightoffendher;

ThentotheMakerselftheylikestbe,

Whoselightdothlightenallthatherewesee.

thesis: problem

established

problem discussed

in following octave.

problem resolved

in couplet

A

B

A

B

B

C

B

C

C

D

C

D

E

E

5

5.5

5

5

5

5

5

5.5 /(6?)

5.5

5.5

5.5

5.5

5

5

English Sixteenth-Century Verse: An Anthology.RichardS.Sylvester,ed.W.W.Norton&Co., NewYork,©1974.Print.

Rhyme scheme||Meter

11

Sonnet Form


William Shakespeare(1564—1616)

130

Mymist/ress’eyes/arenoth/inglike/thesun;

Coral/isfar/morered/thanher/lips’red;

Ifsnow/bewhite,/whythen/herbreasts/aredun;

Ifhairs/bewires,/blackwires/growon/herhead.

Ihave/seenros/esda/mask,red/andwhite,

ButnosuchrosesseeIinhercheeks;

Andinsomeperfumesistheremoredelight

Thaninthebreaththatfrommymistressreeks.

Ilovetohearherspeak,yetwellIknow

Thatmusichathafarmorepleasingsound;

IgrantIneversawagoddessgo;

Mymistress,whenshewalks,treadsontheground:

Andyet,/byheav/en,I/thinkmy/loveas/rare

Asan/yshe/belied/withfalse/compare.

The Sonnets and Narrative Poems: The Complete Non-Dramatic Poetry.SylvanBarnet,ed. SignetClassic,PenquinBooks,NewYork,1989.Print.

problem resolved

in couplet

thesis: problem

establishedand

discussed in octave

sestetshifts

in tone, slightly

A

B

A

B

C

D

C

D

E

F

E

F

G

G

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5.5

5

Rhyme scheme||Meter


Sonnet — Silence

Edgar Allan Poe created his own experimental form.

Inthiscase,hepurposelyde-constructedthetraditionalformulatodevelophis

ownconcept.

•maintainsexpectediambicmeter, however

•uses15lines

• inventedanewrhymeschemetocompensateadditionalline

•heightenedthemeofduality


Sonnet — SilenceEdgar Allan Poe(January1809–October1849)

Sonnet — Silence

Therearesomequalities—someincorporatethings, A 6

Thathaveadoublelife,whichthusismade B 5

Atypeofthattwinentitywhichsprings A 5

Frommatterandlight,evincedinsolidandshade. B 6

Thereisatwo-foldSilence—seaandshore— C 5

Bodyandsoul.Onedwellsinlonelyplaces, D 5.5

Newlywithgrasso’ergrown;somesolemngraces, D 5.5

Somehumanmemoriesandtearfullore, C 5

Renderhimterrorless:hisname’s“NoMore.” C 5

HeisthecorporateSilence:dreadhimnot! E 5.5

Nopowerhathheofevilinhimself; F 5.5

Butshouldsomeurgentfate(untimelylot!) E 5

Bringtheetomeethisshadow(namelesself, F 5

Thathaunteththeloneregionswherehathtrod G 5

Nofootofman)commendthyselftoGod! G 5

Rhyme scheme||Meter

incorporate:combinedinonebody(inthiscase:bodyandsoul)evince:toshowclearlycorporate:united;combined

} quatrain

} cinquain

} sestet

14

Sonnet Form


Notice Poe is playing off the notion that a conventional sonnet has

two themes.

Inhiscasehecreatesa“two-headed”convolutedthemeregardingthe

multipletypesofsilence:

•basicdefinitionofsilence:withoutsound

• silenceofisolationandloneliness

• silenceassociatedwiththelossofalovedone

• silenceofthebodyofthedeceased;ofagravesiteovertime

Oneofhismanytricksinthiselusivestrategyistoshowthatjustasa

traditionalsonnethastwothemes,apersoniscomposedofbodyandsoul,

bodyandshadow,bodyandmind.

• Dualityisacommonoccurrenceintheuniverse.


Multipledualisticimageryexistsin“Sonnet—Silence”:

•incorporate(l1)

•doublelife(l2)

•twinentity(l3)

•matterandlife/solidandshade(l4)

•two-foldSilence/SeaandShore(l5)

•BodyandSoul(l6)

•grassandgraces(l7)

•memoriesandlore(l8)

•corporateSilence(l10)

•shadow(l13)

Sonnet — Silence


The opening quatrain establishes the main theme of the poem: Therearesomequalities—someincorporatethings, Thathaveadoublelife,whichthusismade Atypeofthattwinentitywhichsprings Frommatterandlight,evincedinsolidandshade.

• ManyformsofdualityexistinNature;theseareessentialtoestablish

meaningtoourexistence.Toembellishthis,Poeusesthefollowingconcepts:

Body Soul

shore sea

logic emotion/passion

death life

matter light

solid shade

• Justashumanity’sexistenceremainsconfusingandcontradictory,

soarethethemesrunninginthepoem.

Sonnet — Silence


The remaining lines of the sonnet introduce a confusing character:

• theselinesrefertotheawkwardlynamedelement:“NoMore”

• thispersonificationis“one(who)dwellsinlonelyplaces”—thatisagrave.

• thispersonified-elementisnottobefeared(“renderedterrorless”)byaperson

>whohaswith“solemngraces”

>withpositive“humanmemories”(non-animalistic)and“lore”(education)

•usuallyinterpretedasarepresentationofDeath,althoughsomepeopleargue

itcouldbearepresentationofIsolationorDisconnectionfromSociety,

whichinitselfisanotherformofdeath.

•Therealargumentsbeginwiththeremainingsymbolof

“hisshadow/namelesself,/Thathaunteththeloneregions”—

•Somerefertothisasarepresentationofimpulsesofgreedorillicitdesires.

• Ifthesefactorinthewakingself,oneshouldcommendoneselftoGod.

Sonnet — Silence

18

Sonnet Form


By commending oneself to God the soul is guaranteed existence in

union with the Divine element.

ThegloomypersonawhichPoechoosestoemployreachesaprofoundresolution.

• Thelossofthemortalbodyshouldnotbemourned;thisisanaturalprocess

oflife.WeallmustdieaccordingtoNature.

• However,hedoeswarnitisimportanttoavoidthedeathofthesoulitself.

>Withasenseofreligion,thisisahell.

>Withasenseofphilosophy,thisrepresentsalifewithoutdirection.

• Thisisahellishconditionofeternalsilence.


InFreudianlogic,the“namelesself”couldbearepresentationforthelibido,

anelementinthepersonalitywhichissexualinnatureandinfluencesthe

unconsciousmind,andinpartcauseshumanstoreacttocircumstancesbased

ondesiresratherthanlogic.

EdgarAllanPoe’scollectionofworkprecedeandpredictthePsychoanalytic

conceptsdiscoveredbySigmundFreud.Poe’spersonaeoftenappearmaniacal

withoutbackgroundevidencesuppliedtothereadertoexplaintheirconflicts.

Abranchofcriticsliketouseapsychoanalyticalapproachwhenexaminingthese

poemsandstories.Inthismanner,adetailedcriticismcanrevealhiddendepths

ofbehavioralmotivationsforsuchirrationalfigures.

Sonnet — Silence


The human mind is divided up into components–theEgo,Superego,andId.

•Ego:theconsciousself,the“I”voiceinyourhead;itdefinesand

interpretsreality;isinfluencedbysocialforces.Itisformedatbirthand

modifiesbehaviorbycontrollingimpulsesthatareunacceptablebysociety.

•Superego:theconsciousselfimagewhichmodifiesandinhibits

instinct.Itadoptsstandardsofbehaviorfromsurroundings.

•Id:theunconscious;reservoirofinstinctualdesiresandhiddenmotivations.

Controlledbythepleasureprinciple,thegratificationofdesires.

•Libido:thebasisformanyofFreud’sunderstandingofhiddensymbols

indreams,isaninfluentialportionoftheId.Thesedesiresoftenconflict

withwhatsocietydictatesas“normal,”“polite,”or“correct.”Somebelievea

healthylibidoisimportant;otherssayitshouldalwaysberepressed.

Freudian Concepts in Brief

Documents

Edgar Allan Poe and the Sonnet Form - David-glen Smith Allan Poe and the Sonnet Form. 2 Sonnet Form ... The remaining lines of the sonnet introduce a confusing character: ... 18 Sonnet