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Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare's Sonnet 30
William Shakespeare
Sonnet 30
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare's Sonnet 30
What Is The Poet Saying?Quatrain One
• “When to the sessions of sweet silent thought
I summon up remembrance of things past,
I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,And with old woes new wail my dear
time’s waste.”(1-4)
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare's Sonnet 30
What Is The Poet Saying?Quatrain One
• The poet suggests that when he has time to reflect silently on his life, the things he remembers are the things he is now lacking.
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare's Sonnet 30
What Is The Poet Saying?Quatrain Two
• “Then can I drown an eye, unused to flow,
For precious friends hid in death’s dateless night,
And weep afresh love’s long since canceled woe,
And moan the expense of many a vanished sight.”
(5-8)
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare's Sonnet 30
What Is The Poet Saying?Quatrain Two
• This quatrain explains his reaction to his memories.
– “Then can I drown an eye…”
• This quatrain also explains why the memories of the poet are sad.
– “For precious friends hid in death’s dateless night”
• Death of his friends
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare's Sonnet 30
What Is The Poet Saying?Quatrain Three
• “Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,
And heavily from woe to woe tell o’erThe sad account of forebemoanèd
moan,Which I new-pay as if not paid before.”
(9-12)
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare's Sonnet 30
What Is The Poet Saying?Quatrain Three
• Although these deaths happened in the past, the poet weeps as if he had not grieved before.
– Obviously, the poet misses his friends terribly.
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare's Sonnet 30
What Is The Poet Saying?Couplet
• “But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,
All losses are restored and sorrows end.”
(13-14)– The purpose of the sonnet is similar to
Sonnet 29– If the poet merely thinks about this particular
friend, all troubles and worries disappear.
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare's Sonnet 30
Poetic Devices
• Shakespearean Sonnet
– Rhyme Scheme
• abab cdcd efef gg
– 3 quatrains and 1 couplet
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare's Sonnet 30
Poetic Devices
• Shakespearean Sonnet
• Meter
˘ ΄ ˘ ΄ ˘ ΄ ˘ ΄ ˘ ΄• When to the sessions of sweet silent thought
• Iambic Pentameter
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare's Sonnet 30
Poetic Devices
• Volta– In this sonnet, the volta occurs after the third
quatrain• Different from previous sonnets where the
volta appeared after the second quatrain
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare's Sonnet 30
Poetic Devices
• Alliteration/Consonance
– “When to the sessions of sweet silent thought” (1)
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare's Sonnet 30
Poetic Devices
• Metaphor – Focus on the “court of law” diction/imagery
• “sessions” (1)• “summon” (2)• “grievances” (9)
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare's Sonnet 30
Poetic Devices
• Tone/Mood
– First 12 lines
• Depressing
• Sad
– Last 2 lines
• Positive
• Happy
Geschke/British Literature Shakespeare's Sonnet 30
Poetic Devices
• Theme
– Friendship
