Ever since the first publication of Shakespeare’s Sonnets in Thomas Thorpe’s, very likely
unauthorized, Quarto-edition in 1609, these poetic masterpieces have interested and
captivated readers and critics alike for the following centuries.
Shakespeare’s exceptional abilities as a playwright as well as a poet have always drawn the
attention of literary criticism towards his works and also to his sonnets. In the past, critics
have often tried to answer all sorts of questions concerning the sonnets. Among the questions
dealt with, like the identity of the persons mentioned in the poems, the correct order and
structure of the sonnet cycle and many others, critics also tried to answer in which ways
Shakespeare used and incorporated already existing poetic conventions and in how far he
wrote against, contrasted and overcame common literary traditions by producing, according to
Pequigney’s praise, “the greatest of all love-sonnet sequences”.
The common literary tradition for writing love poetry that not only English but also
continental poets followed in the sixteenth century was that of Petrarchism.
Already after Francesco Petrarca, or Petrarch, had introduced this way of writing love poetry,
the fashion of imitating or adopting and sometimes contrasting the Petrarchan way of writing
poetry spread from Italy to France, Spain, the Netherlands and also to England4, where Wyatt
and Surrey introduced the sonnet form and the thematic aspects which characterize
Petrarchism5. Although Petrarchism, with its many followers who, despite striking
similarities, often exhibit different ways of adopting the model set by Petrarch, seems not too
easy to define6, this paper aims to show how this prominent love poetry tradition was adopted
and adapted by Shakespeare for his Sonnets.
To achieve this goal it seems essential to try to define what the Petrarchan way of writing love
poetry is and why it became a predominant fashion in England before and during the time
Shakespeare wrote his sonnets. This is to be the purpose of the following chapter.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Petrarchism and the Petrarchan Tradition in England
3. Formal aspects of Shakespeare’s Sonnets and the Petrarchan tradition
4. Traditional and unconventional thematic aspects and Shakespeare’s Sonnets
5. The Petrarchan language of love and its use in the Sonnets
6. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This academic paper examines the ambivalent relationship between William Shakespeare’s sonnet sequence and the established Petrarchan tradition of the English Renaissance. It explores how Shakespeare adopted, subverted, and contrasted conventional formal and thematic elements to express a more complex, realistic, and self-reflective understanding of human love.
- The historical development and assimilation of Petrarchism in England.
- Formal deviations in Shakespeare’s sonnet cycle, including structure and addressees.
- Thematic subversion of traditional tropes such as the "cruel fair" and hyperbolic beauty.
- Critical examination of the "blame and praise" formula within the sonnet sequence.
- The role of self-reflective poetry and the expression of human weaknesses.
Excerpt from the Book
3. Formal aspects of Shakespeare’s Sonnets and the Petrarchan tradition
In this chapter I want to look at the formal aspects of William Shakespeare’s sonnet cycle to investigate in how far the Petrarchan tradition informed the form of Shakespeare’s own love sonnets.
First of all it has to be acknowledged that Shakespeare produced a sequence of love sonnets in which 154 individual sonnets constitute a whole cycle. Although the ordering of the sonnets had been a much debated question in the past, several scholars claimed that the right order of them had been lost with the unauthorized publication by Thorpe which is the only version we can regard as original, it is a common feature of Petrarchan love lyric to organize various sonnets within a bigger framework, a so called sonnet sequence or sonnet cycle.
The convention of incorporating individual sonnets within such a cycle goes as far back as Petrarch himself who produced a sequence of, not only sonnets, with his Il Canzoniere. The fashion of writing love sonnets cycles then spread through Europe in the fifteenth and sixteenth century with, for example, the French writers of the Pléiade like Du Bellay and Ronsard using the sonnet forms to produce their cycles that present their own interpretation of Petrarchism by taking a closer look at the beloved woman’s body and by writing more openly erotic and at times even anti-Petrarchan sonnets. In his La Defense et Illustration de la Langue Francoyse, Du Bellay urged his French contemporaries to participate in the fashion of writing Petrarchan love sonnets, a call that was then heard and followed not only in France.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the research interest in Shakespeare’s adaptation of Petrarchan conventions and the methodology of analyzing specific sonnets to identify thematic and formal deviations.
2. Petrarchism and the Petrarchan Tradition in England: Discusses the definition of Petrarchism as a multifaceted European phenomenon and the historical introduction of the sonnet form to England by Wyatt and Surrey.
3. Formal aspects of Shakespeare’s Sonnets and the Petrarchan tradition: Investigates the structural organization of Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets and how he manipulates the sonnet form to allow for more complex logical relations between quatrains.
4. Traditional and unconventional thematic aspects and Shakespeare’s Sonnets: Analyzes the poet’s treatment of themes such as procreation, homoeroticism, and the "triangle" relationship, contrasting these with the static nature of traditional Petrarchan poetry.
5. The Petrarchan language of love and its use in the Sonnets: Examines Shakespeare’s use and subversion of linguistic formulas, focusing on his critical stance toward the traditional "blazon" and hyperbolic imagery.
6. Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, characterizing Shakespeare’s relationship to the tradition as a "continuing struggle between difference and sameness."
Keywords
Shakespeare, Sonnets, Petrarchism, Petrarch, Renaissance, Love Poetry, Sonnet Sequence, Formal Convention, Thematic Aspects, Blazon, Elizabethan Literature, Literary Tradition, Self-Reflection, Human Nature
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper examines how William Shakespeare engaged with, adopted, and challenged the established "Petrarchan" tradition of love poetry in his sonnet cycle.
What are the primary thematic fields discussed?
The central themes include the formal structure of sonnet cycles, the expression of love for multiple addressees, the role of human imperfection, and the critique of traditional poetic tropes.
What is the primary research goal?
The objective is to demonstrate that Shakespeare’s sonnets are not merely imitative, but represent a conscious subversion of Petrarchan norms to achieve a more authentic portrayal of human emotion.
Which scientific method is employed?
The study utilizes a literary analysis approach, conducting an exemplary examination of specific sonnets to compare their language, themes, and structure against the conventions of Petrarchist poetry.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body covers the formal structure of Shakespeare’s sequence, the thematic deviations from the tradition, and an analysis of how the poet manipulates language to critique or redefine idealized concepts of beauty and virtue.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is defined by terms such as Shakespeare, Petrarchism, Renaissance, sonnet sequences, and the subversion of poetic convention.
How does Shakespeare modify the traditional "blazon"?
Shakespeare subverts the traditional blazon—which typically praises individual body parts with hyperbole—by either mocking it or showing that it is insufficient to describe the complex reality of his beloved.
How is the "triangle relationship" in the Sonnets interpreted?
The paper interprets the relationship between the poet, the young friend, and the "dark lady" as a dynamic and unconventional "sexual triangle" that reflects conflicting human emotions, moving beyond static Petrarchan models.
- Quote paper
- Stefan Ruhnke (Author), 2007, Shakespeare's sonnets and the Petrarchan tradition, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/83552
