Sonnets 112, 113, 115, 116, 118, 119, 120, 121, 123, 126
Answer TWO of the following…
1. These are the last sonnets written directly to the ‘young
man’; what kind of ‘epilogue’ do these poems offer? How is he bidding farewell—and on what
terms? Has the idol fallen for the
poet? Are there new betrayals? Or simply a sense of resignation and/or regret?
2. Sonnet 126 is the only sonnet in the series without a
couplet. It literally ends with
brackets. Why do you think this is? What might the meaning—whether visual or metaphorical—be
by this anomaly? Or could it be an act
of censorship on Shakespeare’s part—or the printer’s?
3. Sonnet 116 is one of the most famous sonnets in the
series: though considered a great love poem, is love/romance the prime
sentiment? Are there other ways to read
this poem? Explain what other
moods/tones you might discern through individual lines.
4. How do any of these poems fit in the ‘story’ you wrote
for your last response? Do they
complement or contradict it? How might
you weave them into the fabric of your Sonnet narrative?
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