![]() It can also be viewed as a critique of the Petrarchan woman (and by extension, the Italian Sonnet tradition). This particular sonnet of Shakespeare is a parody of the traditional blazon where a woman’s physical attributes are praised one by one. ![]() The most popular writer of this form is Petrarch, a 14th century Italian poet known for his sonnets about Laura, whom he idealized. The sonnet is a form that originated in Italy and credits Giacomo da Lentini as its creator. In Shakespeare’s time many sonneteers wrote as an intellectual exercise intended for friends and other writers who were also producing sonnets, though is believed by many not to be the case with Shakespeare’s sonnets and that they reflect the true events of his life. There is an interesting alteration of tone in that the Fair Youth sonnets were more spiritual and concerned with the pain of love, whereas the “Dark Lady” sonnets are more concerned with sexual passion. The story behind this change remains a mystery. ![]() Her identity is unknown and, as with the boy, it is a matter of academic debate as to whether she is fictional or a woman he loved in real life. The Fair Youth is no longer the subject and the woman is now central. This continues the sequence of sonnets dedicated by Shakespeare to his “"Dark Lady”. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |