If It’s Square, It’s a SonnetIf It’s Square, It’s a Sonnet

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

How to Read Literature How to Read Literature Like a ProfessorLike a Professor

Brock FletcherBrock Fletcher

20122012

““The The sonnetsonnet is the is the onlyonly poetic form the poetic form the great majority of readers great majority of readers ever needs to ever needs to knowknow”(22)”(22)

• It is the only one you will usually seeIt is the only one you will usually see

• ““Other forms require mnemonic assistance”(23)Other forms require mnemonic assistance”(23)

Easily RecognisableEasily Recognisable

• Look for square shapeLook for square shape

• Count 14 linesCount 14 lines

• Read for Iambic PentameterRead for Iambic Pentameter

How to read a poemHow to read a poem

• Read for enjoyment first, and Read for enjoyment first, and appreciate the “magic” of a poemappreciate the “magic” of a poem

• Then go back and see how the poet Then go back and see how the poet worked the “magic” on youworked the “magic” on you

• Magic in Sonnets often come from Magic in Sonnets often come from it’s formit’s form

Sonnet FormSonnet Form

• 2 parts and a Shift2 parts and a Shift

• Varying rhyme schemesVarying rhyme schemes

• Sonnets are “engineered”Sonnets are “engineered”

• 14 lines14 lines

• 8/6 split usually8/6 split usually

An Echo from An Echo from WillowwoodWillowwood

TWO gaz’d into a pool, he gaz’d and she,TWO gaz’d into a pool, he gaz’d and she,Not hand in hand, yet heart in heart, I Not hand in hand, yet heart in heart, I

think,think,Pale and reluctant on the water’s Pale and reluctant on the water’s brinkbrinkAS on the AS on the brink of partingbrink of parting which must be, which must be,Each eyed the other’s aspect, she and he,Each eyed the other’s aspect, she and he,Each felt one hungering heart leap up and Each felt one hungering heart leap up and

sink,sink,Each tasted bitterness which both must Each tasted bitterness which both must

drinkdrinkThere on the There on the brink brink of life’s dividing sea.of life’s dividing sea.Lilies upon the surface, deep belowLilies upon the surface, deep belowTwo Two wistfulwistful faces faces cravingcraving each for each, each for each, Resolute and reluctant without speech:—Resolute and reluctant without speech:—A sudden ripple made the faces flowA sudden ripple made the faces flowOne moment join’d, to vanish out of reach:One moment join’d, to vanish out of reach:

So these hearts join’d, and ah! were parted So these hearts join’d, and ah! were parted so.so.

(Rossetti)(25)(Rossetti)(25)

1

• ““Rossetti manages her content so that it Rossetti manages her content so that it tells a story of complex human longing tells a story of complex human longing and regret within the confines of a very and regret within the confines of a very demanding form. The beauty of this poem demanding form. The beauty of this poem lies, in part, in the tension between the lies, in part, in the tension between the small package and the large emotional small package and the large emotional and narrative scene it contains…The and narrative scene it contains…The sonnet form actually becomes part of the sonnet form actually becomes part of the meaning of the poem.” (27)meaning of the poem.” (27)

Why Form matters:Why Form matters:

• It just might mean somethingIt just might mean something

•““Sonnets are short poems Sonnets are short poems that take far more time, that take far more time, because everything has to be because everything has to be perfect”(27)perfect”(27)

Now, Where Have I Seen Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before?Her Before?

Chapter 5Chapter 5

Brock FletcherBrock Fletcher

Connect The DotsConnect The Dots

• Reading Literature is a lot like connecting Reading Literature is a lot like connecting the dots.the dots.

• Some can look at it and see what it is, Some can look at it and see what it is, while others have to be almost finished while others have to be almost finished before they see it.before they see it.

• ““The more connect-the-dot drawings you The more connect-the-dot drawings you do, the more likely you are to recognize do, the more likely you are to recognize the design early on” (27)the design early on” (27)

• ““Part of pattern reconition is talent, but a Part of pattern reconition is talent, but a whole lot of it is practice” (29)whole lot of it is practice” (29)

““There is no such thing as a There is no such thing as a wholly original work of wholly original work of literature”(29)literature”(29)• The more you read, the more you The more you read, the more you

recognize archetypes, patterns and recognize archetypes, patterns and recurences.recurences.

Going After Cacciato Going After Cacciato

• Half reality, half day-dreamHalf reality, half day-dream

• Almost all of the stories are taken Almost all of the stories are taken from other worksfrom other works

• Still original because tons of unrelated Still original because tons of unrelated stories are combined in a way that stories are combined in a way that makes sense. makes sense.

• Alice in WonderlandAlice in Wonderland

• Sarkin Aung WanSarkin Aung WanSacajaweaSacajawea

““There is only one story” There is only one story” (32)(32)• ““[Literature is] like a barrel of eels. [Literature is] like a barrel of eels.

When a writer creates a new eel, it When a writer creates a new eel, it wriggles its way into the barrel, wriggles its way into the barrel, muscles a path into the great teeming muscles a path into the great teeming mass from which it came in the first mass from which it came in the first plce It’s a new eel, but it shares its plce It’s a new eel, but it shares its eelness with all those other eels that eelness with all those other eels that are in the barrel or have ever been in are in the barrel or have ever been in the barrel.”(32-33)the barrel.”(32-33)

Stories grow out of other Stories grow out of other storiesstories

• Does not have to stick to genre.Does not have to stick to genre.

• Beowulf/ GrendelBeowulf/ Grendel

• Modern day ScroogeModern day Scrooge

• Similarities can be direct, ironic, Similarities can be direct, ironic, funny or tragic.funny or tragic.

• ““Aha! Factor” (33)Aha! Factor” (33)

Inter-textual Dialogue Inter-textual Dialogue

• Example: An author may disagree Example: An author may disagree with the theme of a novel, and write with the theme of a novel, and write his own novel which reflects the first his own novel which reflects the first but with a very important contrast to but with a very important contrast to make his statement.make his statement.

What if you don’t make these What if you don’t make these connections?connections?

• A story needs to be good on its own, A story needs to be good on its own, and heightened by making and heightened by making connectionsconnections

• It helps to go to teachers because It helps to go to teachers because they can point you in the right they can point you in the right direction of noticing something you direction of noticing something you might miss.might miss.

Source CitedSource Cited

• Foster, Thomas C. Foster, Thomas C. How to Read How to Read Literature Literature Like a Professor.Like a Professor. New New York, NY: York, NY: Harper-Collins Harper-Collins Publishers Inc., 2003. Publishers Inc., 2003. Print.Print.