What a great Sonnet 55 is, and yes, a gorgeous follow-up?, echo?, refrain? on Sonnet 18. Thank you for linking the two and offering such robust and intriguing comments on them.
A friend, Tracey Finck, and I are reading through T.S. Eliot's "Four Quartets" as well as the line-by-line commentary on them, "Dove Descending" by Thomas Howard. Howard notes the time it takes to share the magic and mystery of poetry by means of prose, just as you mentioned in your column, Karen. Prose, he points out, has to work very hard to describe poetry. There is so much packed into very few words in a poem, but to write about what is going on at the heart of it takes a lot of time and effort and words. Or as Howard says, "Prose has to prowl about the outskirts (of the poem), like a guide with his bunch of tourists."(p 57 )
Thanks for taking us on this magical mystery tour of Shakespeare's sonnets, Karen.
What a wonderful sonnet! Enjoying these so much I've just bought a Folio Society volume of them off eBay! And that extract from WS's last will and testament is very moving.
The opening 'Not' really is very powerful isn't it. Reminds me of the 'Not to us' that opens Psalm 115. I was also make to think about the Lord's commendation of Mary, that what she did would always be recalled - not by means of a statue (as fine as they are) but in being perpetually rehearsed through the ages (and was written down for that reason). That we can do so is a delightful privilege.
"Remembering what teaching that way is like and how I lost it has made me sad again." The Lord meet you in that very real sadness, Karen.
Like Richard , I am very sorry that the loss of your teaching has caused such unhappiness although I feel awkward about it as , reading sonnets several thousand miles and five hours away I am a very grateful beneficiary of your new career
When I read the sonnet, I see in my mind's eye the famous ruins of ancient Athens. I had the privilege of living for a couple of months in Athens a couple years ago. Of course I took in a few of the historical sights. What struck me was how much these monuments, which seemed almost immortal when I read about them, were disintegrating after 3000 +/- years. The 17,000 tourists per day traipsing over the Acropolis don't really help - I never made it up there, just viewed it from the Areopagus and many other angles around the city. The famous Caryatid pillars were housed carefully in a museum to protect them, they had become so delicate, and so many other legendary works were equally protected from the final ravages of time. No, marble monuments don't last for ever.
"Remembering what teaching that way is like and how I lost it has made me sad again." I enjoy writing but I am called to teach for the purpose of spiritual encouragement. There is nothing quite so pleasing as the look on a learner's face when a truth hits home.
Oh, I love that. There is no replacing it! I think what I love most is seeing the questions and conversation develop organically and going where they lead. I love that part.
I think there must be a deliberate ambiguity in great poetry. When I read someone else's interpretation there always seem to be places where I think it meant something else. The way we can project our own understanding, memories, general knowledge, life experiences, and emotions onto the words is greater because of the brevity of the poem. A novel will often correct your misunderstanding later in the book. Here we are left to make our own decisions about whose eyes the poet really means. I love that.
That’s a great comparison between the way a novel tends to work and the layers of meaning and resonances of meanings in a word that good poetry brings out. Language is so interesting!
Your Emily Dickinson comment reminds me of one of my favorite Shakespeare lessons, the 8 (at least) meanings for "I am determined to prove a villain" (Richard III, 1.1. around line 38). Who determined? What does "prove" mean? Is this a boast or a complaint? Who's the villain? What are the meanings available in context? What are the possibilities for an actor performing the line?
How lovely, at the age of 67, to read this sonnet and understand what I am reading. Thank you Ms Prior. And you are surely correct. To read it aloud makes all the difference.
This article I just saw addresses nicely Kevie’s comment above. Actually, the article offers multiple ways to dig in deeper into the language of poetry and its ambiguities. Enjoy! https://www.themarginalian.org/2023/02/18/robert-bringhurst-poetry/
What a great Sonnet 55 is, and yes, a gorgeous follow-up?, echo?, refrain? on Sonnet 18. Thank you for linking the two and offering such robust and intriguing comments on them.
A friend, Tracey Finck, and I are reading through T.S. Eliot's "Four Quartets" as well as the line-by-line commentary on them, "Dove Descending" by Thomas Howard. Howard notes the time it takes to share the magic and mystery of poetry by means of prose, just as you mentioned in your column, Karen. Prose, he points out, has to work very hard to describe poetry. There is so much packed into very few words in a poem, but to write about what is going on at the heart of it takes a lot of time and effort and words. Or as Howard says, "Prose has to prowl about the outskirts (of the poem), like a guide with his bunch of tourists."(p 57 )
Thanks for taking us on this magical mystery tour of Shakespeare's sonnets, Karen.
Wow! That is a really comforting description and affirmation, Teri! It is very hard to “explain” poetry in words. :) I feel seen.
What a wonderful sonnet! Enjoying these so much I've just bought a Folio Society volume of them off eBay! And that extract from WS's last will and testament is very moving.
The opening 'Not' really is very powerful isn't it. Reminds me of the 'Not to us' that opens Psalm 115. I was also make to think about the Lord's commendation of Mary, that what she did would always be recalled - not by means of a statue (as fine as they are) but in being perpetually rehearsed through the ages (and was written down for that reason). That we can do so is a delightful privilege.
"Remembering what teaching that way is like and how I lost it has made me sad again." The Lord meet you in that very real sadness, Karen.
I count it as success!!! that you got a volume! Hooray!
It is with good reason that King James English and Shakespearean English are so similar, especially perhaps the Psalms.
The Lord has been very kind to me, Richard. Thank you. In my joy and sadness and very thing in between. 🙏
And the Book of Common Prayer is also similar of course
Like Richard , I am very sorry that the loss of your teaching has caused such unhappiness although I feel awkward about it as , reading sonnets several thousand miles and five hours away I am a very grateful beneficiary of your new career
Well, that makes me very glad. Thank you, Miranda. It’s all grace. All of it.
Yes!
When I read the sonnet, I see in my mind's eye the famous ruins of ancient Athens. I had the privilege of living for a couple of months in Athens a couple years ago. Of course I took in a few of the historical sights. What struck me was how much these monuments, which seemed almost immortal when I read about them, were disintegrating after 3000 +/- years. The 17,000 tourists per day traipsing over the Acropolis don't really help - I never made it up there, just viewed it from the Areopagus and many other angles around the city. The famous Caryatid pillars were housed carefully in a museum to protect them, they had become so delicate, and so many other legendary works were equally protected from the final ravages of time. No, marble monuments don't last for ever.
And then consider the way water carves up the land--even rock! Amazing.
"Remembering what teaching that way is like and how I lost it has made me sad again." I enjoy writing but I am called to teach for the purpose of spiritual encouragement. There is nothing quite so pleasing as the look on a learner's face when a truth hits home.
Oh, I love that. There is no replacing it! I think what I love most is seeing the questions and conversation develop organically and going where they lead. I love that part.
I think there must be a deliberate ambiguity in great poetry. When I read someone else's interpretation there always seem to be places where I think it meant something else. The way we can project our own understanding, memories, general knowledge, life experiences, and emotions onto the words is greater because of the brevity of the poem. A novel will often correct your misunderstanding later in the book. Here we are left to make our own decisions about whose eyes the poet really means. I love that.
That’s a great comparison between the way a novel tends to work and the layers of meaning and resonances of meanings in a word that good poetry brings out. Language is so interesting!
Your Emily Dickinson comment reminds me of one of my favorite Shakespeare lessons, the 8 (at least) meanings for "I am determined to prove a villain" (Richard III, 1.1. around line 38). Who determined? What does "prove" mean? Is this a boast or a complaint? Who's the villain? What are the meanings available in context? What are the possibilities for an actor performing the line?
That is an amazing example of how so much meaning (so many meanings!) can be packed into a few words. What a great discussion that would be!
How lovely, at the age of 67, to read this sonnet and understand what I am reading. Thank you Ms Prior. And you are surely correct. To read it aloud makes all the difference.
Oh, I am so happy to read this. Thank you for sharing it. Thank you. 🩵