May 20th– Shakespeare’s Sonnets (1609)

 T Swift or Shakespeare

May 20th– Shakespeare’s Sonnets (1609)

Summary: Fair Youth, boo; Dark Lady, yay

Commentary: I switched the dates for today and yesterday, oops. I partially blame it on them both being from the same volume, which I don't think has ever happened before. We got all Fair Youth sonnets, with a bunch of skipping around. We get an entire book of BUUUURRRRNNNNSSSSS, but Elliot apparently couldn't manage the quarter of a book or less the full sonnets would've taken.

I don't really care for the Fair Youth sonnets, which are saccharine to the point of self parody. We start with #18, "Shall I compare the to a summer's day..."

Compare the far better #130:

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;

Coral is far more red than her lips' red;

If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;

If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.

I have seen roses damasked, red and white,

But no such roses see I in her cheeks;

And in some perfumes is there more delight

Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.

I love to hear her speak, yet well I know

That music hath a far more pleasing sound;

I grant I never saw a goddess go;

My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.

   And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare

   As any she belied with false compare.

The Dark Lady set, about loving someone who isn't the most beautiful ever, who has sinned, etc. is much more interesting than the generic gushing he does about "The Fair Youth" 

#30 (XXX) is disappointingly non-bawdy, but 31 talks about bosoms and loving parts at least.

 I do like #54, where the imagery (a rose vs canker) actually does something beyond gush about how pretty Shakespeare's crush is.

#57 is about being a slave and waiting around for his "sovereign"'s desires. Who knew Shakespeare was so kinky?

Being your slave what should I do but tend,

Upon the hours, and times of your desire?