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Please make sure you’ve

ordered Macbeth, and

that’s it the correct edition –

there is a link on Google

Classroom. Do not read

ahead.

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I added this slide (10/2/24) to give me some space to write some general intro notes. I usually – time is short – go right into the lesson and begin with Sonnet 18.

We don’t talk about any Shakespeare background – though the students have read the little bio that goes with these sonnets. And there usually is no quiz (sometimes I give a quiz just to see who is there – and give them 200 points for being there on this SO important lesson. Those students that miss the class are required to listen to the audio recording (there may be a video too) – and take a short oral quiz – showing they listened.

The one thing I often did is to say to the students that “Everything we’ve done – has led up today. To me – Shakespeare is as far and above all other poets – as the poems we did the other day (by Raleigh) are above what has come before. I hope by the end of the lesson – you are on the road to being convinced.

Students have a printed out set of the poems that we will be doing today with plenty of room for them to take notes. You should remind them periodically to take those notes – to cover their poems with their notes.

REMEMBER: Have students only uncover what is shown on the screen – it really helps them focus – and not get overwhelmed by what is there.

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18

1 Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

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18

1 Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

2 Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

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18

1 Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

2 Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

3 Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

.

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18

1 Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

2 Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

3 Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

4 And summer's lease hath all too short a date.

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18

1 Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

2 Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

3 Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

4 And summer's lease hath all too short a date.

5 Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

6 And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;

Line 5 – In summer (make sure you keep coming back to the specifics of the poem – no one holds a metaphor (except for maybe John Donne) so well and so focused as Shakespeare. In summer – what is he saying in line 5?

Answer: “The sun can be too hot”. How do you know that? Where is the sun in that line? Answer: “The eye of heaven”

Ok – let’s reach back – “What kind of phrase is ‘eye of heaven’”

Answer: “It’s a kenning!” All the way back to the Anglo-Saxons. 30 years of teaching this poem – I never had a class where at least 1 student remembered this.

What about line 6? Answer: “Sometimes the sun is dimmed.” Literally (as always – get that first) what doe that mean?

Answer: “Sometimes the sun is behind clouds”. NOW – go for the figurative. So why can’t he compare them to a summer’s day?

Answer: She is (again) never to much and she can never be overshadowed by anyone or anything.

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18

1 Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

2 Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

3 Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

4 And summer's lease hath all too short a date.

5 Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

6 And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;

7 And every fair from fair sometime declines,

Here we go! The Genius of Shakespeare.

I ask the students to close their eyes – to JUST LISTEN…

Then I read line 7 – “And every fair from fair sometime declines”

Ask them what they think – Answer: “It’s pretty, it sounds nice” – I’ve never not gotten at least one student to say something along those lines.

NOW: It’s time to bring up the idea (in advance of Stephen Booth later in the year): “Maybe that’s what makes a text great – how it sounds – the play on our ears” – Maybe not what it’s saying – but how it is said… (so important to plant this idea – which actually has been put into other lessons before this too)

Now – what does it mean? (Remember – make sure students are only uncovering what is on the screen)�Every fair from fair – what does fair mean? Someone will probably know “fair” as beautiful – if not you’ll have to help them along…

So everything that is beautiful….? What? Answer: “has that ‘fairness’ taken away” (declines). AHHHHH! Back to what Raleigh’s Nymph told the Shepherd! (this is how you build things in your class).

NOW – because this is not translated – we can also talk about word choice. Ask: “What season is he talking about?” Summer. “Look at the words in line 7 – what do summers have?” FAIRS! Yes…. Again – how it is said.

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18

1 Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

2 Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

3 Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

4 And summer's lease hath all too short a date.

5 Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

6 And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;

7 And every fair from fair sometime declines,

8 By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;

Line 8 – If line 7 said that everything is beautiful – has that beauty taken away – what does line 8 start to do?

Tell us how – point out the word “By” (showing us how it is declined”

What are the two ways the poet says that what is beautiful loses its beauty?

By chance – I usually self-deprecatingly say – yes I was hit by a truck very young which explains my lack of beauty

Nature’s changing course – Ask: “What is that”? If they have trouble – go back to Literal before Figurative. “What did he say happened to Spring & Summer?” Answer – “They become fall & winter”. Sooooo – what is the second reason to lose beauty? - Aging – everything ages (also back to Raleigh’s Nymph).

A good time to remind them of the central metaphor – “So WHY Can’t he compare the object to this poem to Summer?” Answer: “Because summer loses its beauty and they never will.”

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18

1 Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

2 Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

3 Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

4 And summer's lease hath all too short a date.

5 Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

6 And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;

7 And every fair from fair sometime declines,

8 By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;

9 But thy eternal summer shall not fade

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18

1 Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

2 Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

3 Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

4 And summer's lease hath all too short a date.

5 Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

6 And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;

7 And every fair from fair sometime declines,

8 By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;

9 But thy eternal summer shall not fade

10 Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;

11 Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,

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18

1 Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

2 Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

3 Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

4 And summer's lease hath all too short a date.

5 Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

6 And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;

7 And every fair from fair sometime declines,

8 By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;

9 But thy eternal summer shall not fade

10 Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;

11 Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,

12 When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:

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18

1 Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

2 Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

3 Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

4 And summer's lease hath all too short a date.

5 Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

6 And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;

7 And every fair from fair sometime declines,

8 By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;

9 But thy eternal summer shall not fade

10 Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;

11 Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,

12 When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:

13 So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

14 So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

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30

1 When to the sessions of sweet silent thought

2 I summon up remembrance of things past,

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30

1 When to the sessions of sweet silent thought

2 I summon up remembrance of things past,

3 I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,

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30

1 When to the sessions of sweet silent thought

2 I summon up remembrance of things past,

3 I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,

4 And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:

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30

1 When to the sessions of sweet silent thought

2 I summon up remembrance of things past,

3 I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,

4 And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:

5 Then can I drown an eye, unus'd to flow,

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30

1 When to the sessions of sweet silent thought

2 I summon up remembrance of things past,

3 I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,

4 And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:

5 Then can I drown an eye, unus'd to flow,

6 For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,

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30

1 When to the sessions of sweet silent thought

2 I summon up remembrance of things past,

3 I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,

4 And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:

5 Then can I drown an eye, unus'd to flow,

6 For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,

7 And weep afresh love's long since cancell'd woe,

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30

1 When to the sessions of sweet silent thought

2 I summon up remembrance of things past,

3 I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,

4 And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:

5 Then can I drown an eye, unus'd to flow,

6 For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,

7 And weep afresh love's long since cancell'd woe,

8 And moan th' expense of many a vanish'd sight;

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30

1 When to the sessions of sweet silent thought

2 I summon up remembrance of things past,

3 I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,

4 And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:

5 Then can I drown an eye, unus'd to flow,

6 For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,

7 And weep afresh love's long since cancell'd woe,

8 And moan th' expense of many a vanish'd sight;

9 Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,

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30

1 When to the sessions of sweet silent thought

2 I summon up remembrance of things past,

3 I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,

4 And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:

5 Then can I drown an eye, unus'd to flow,

6 For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,

7 And weep afresh love's long since cancell'd woe,

8 And moan th' expense of many a vanish'd sight;

9 Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,

10 And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er

11 The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan,

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30

1 When to the sessions of sweet silent thought

2 I summon up remembrance of things past,

3 I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,

4 And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:

5 Then can I drown an eye, unus'd to flow,

6 For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,

7 And weep afresh love's long since cancell'd woe,

8 And moan th' expense of many a vanish'd sight;

9 Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,

10 And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er

11 The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan,

12 Which I new pay as if not paid before.

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30

1 When to the sessions of sweet silent thought

2 I summon up remembrance of things past,

3 I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,

4 And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:

5 Then can I drown an eye, unus'd to flow,

6 For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,

7 And weep afresh love's long since cancell'd woe,

8 And moan th' expense of many a vanish'd sight;

9 Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,

10 And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er

11 The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan,

12 Which I new pay as if not paid before.

13 But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,

14 All losses are restor'd, and sorrows end.

And then you get these beautiful final two lines.

A good time to remind them or better yet ask them: “What kind of poem is this?”

Answer: “A sonnet”.

Point out sonnets often have a question and an answer – so the first 12 lines are the setup – the question – then in these last two lines we get the glorious payoff.

What does he say – Answer: “If he thinks of his friend – all of the sorrows that he has mentioned TWELVE times – are gone – the losses are restored… ☺

So WHY do those twelve times about things from the past that make him sad now?

ANSWER: BY DOING IT THAT MANY TIMES – IT MAKES HIS FRIEND’S POWER TO OVERCOME THEM – SO MUCH MORE! AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS WERE IN THE PAST – HIS FRIEND IS IN THE HERE AND NOW.

What a powerful poem about being in the here and now – and appreciating what we have – a great lesson for students of the Anxiety Generation.

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29

1 When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,

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29

1 When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,

2 I all alone beweep my outcast state

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29

1 When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,

2 I all alone beweep my outcast state

3 And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries

IMPORTANT SLIDE! (for meaning and for understanding vocabulary & the downside of TEXT BOOK footnotes….

Ask: “What’s he doing in line 3?” Answer: “Praying”

Ask: “What happens to his prayers” Answer “They appear to not be heard – hence the ‘deaf heaven”….

Ask: “Why bootless cries?” Someone will answer with what their textbook told them (though they don’t have their books out – and the handout has no footnotes – this poem was assigned and someone will remember): “Bootless means useless.”

Now you’re going to show them simultaneously – Why Shakespeare is so good – and how footnotes can actually harm your reading.�Tell them – “Forget that footnote – let’s figure out ‘bootless’ ourselves. Where is he praying to?” Answer: “Heaven”

Ask: “So what does it mean if his prayers are bootless?” �Answer: “They can’t travel – the are unable to make it heaven.”

SO COOL: The students now have a much more nuanced understanding of the line AND they see why Shakespeare’s word choice is so important.

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29

1 When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,

2 I all alone beweep my outcast state

3 And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries

4 And look upon myself and curse my fate,

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29

1 When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,

2 I all alone beweep my outcast state

3 And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries

4 And look upon myself and curse my fate,

5 Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,

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29

1 When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,

2 I all alone beweep my outcast state

3 And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries

4 And look upon myself and curse my fate,

5 Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,

6 Featur'd like him, like him with friends possess'd,

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29

1 When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,

2 I all alone beweep my outcast state

3 And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries

4 And look upon myself and curse my fate,

5 Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,

6 Featur'd like him, like him with friends possess'd,

7 Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,

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29

1 When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,

2 I all alone beweep my outcast state

3 And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries

4 And look upon myself and curse my fate,

5 Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,

6 Featur'd like him, like him with friends possess'd,

7 Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,

8 With what I most enjoy contented least;

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29

1 When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,

2 I all alone beweep my outcast state

3 And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries

4 And look upon myself and curse my fate,

5 Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,

6 Featur'd like him, like him with friends possess'd,

7 Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,

8 With what I most enjoy contented least;

9 Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,

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29

1 When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,

2 I all alone beweep my outcast state

3 And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries

4 And look upon myself and curse my fate,

5 Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,

6 Featur'd like him, like him with friends possess'd,

7 Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,

8 With what I most enjoy contented least;

9 Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,

10 Haply I think on thee, and then my state,

11 Like to the lark at break of day arising

12 From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;

Read (or have a student read – we haven’t talked about this – but usually I have a student read the entire sonnet before we analyse it (remember they have the handout) – and then read the lines myself for continuity) – the next 3 lines (10-12)

Ask: “What happens? What does he do? What happens to his state of mind?”

Answer: “He thinks on this person and feels better.”

You have to get them beyond “feeling better”!

Go over the lines – Ask about larks. In my students’ text book they have a footnote on this wonderful bird: They rise at the break of dawn and travelling perpendicular to the earth – sing the most beautiful song flying straight up until they are out of sight. This is our first encounter with Larks – there will be many more.

So get them to the students to the point where they see what a HUGE deal this is and how exulted the poet feels – after feeling SO horrible for the rest of the poem – when they think on the object of the poem.

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29

1 When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,

2 I all alone beweep my outcast state

3 And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries

4 And look upon myself and curse my fate,

5 Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,

6 Featur'd like him, like him with friends possess'd,

7 Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,

8 With what I most enjoy contented least;

9 Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,

10 Haply I think on thee, and then my state,

11 Like to the lark at break of day arising

12 From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;

13 For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings

14 That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

The most important slide of all. AND – you need be PATIENT. Let the students make the giant critical thinking jump. When they figure it out – they will remember it – they will appreciate it.�ASK – “So what does the poet say in 13 & 14?” “Why does his soul rise to heaven’s gate – at the thought of their friend?” The entire poem he has been miserable – now he ecstatic. Why?????

I can almost guarantee you that someone will answer by saying that they think about their friend – and it makes them happy, no matter how sad they are. THAT WOULD BE WRONG. That is the answer to Sonnet #30 – and the reason that I do them in this order.

Tell them to look at 13 & 14 closely – you will give them time to think. And do – give everyone a couple of minutes to figure this out.

Answer: (always from a student) – “The entire poem he wishes he was someone else – and then he remembers his friend – and they love HIM – not someone else – and so no matter his state – how awful he is compared to others – he has something that those talented, popular people do not have: The love of the the person he writes about!

I then remind students that this is a great poem to turn to when they are feeling blue – or have a friend that is – and they can remind that friend that they have their friendship and care – no matter what else the state of the world.

This poem stays with the students…

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Sonnet #116 is personal – and I tell a very specific personal story before I go over what it means. I urge you to find your own story associated with this or any of Shakespeare’s sonnets (look through them – you’ll be surprised) and make it your own by telling your own story.

My story is about me reading this Sonnet at my own wedding – and finding the truth in it there – and the day – and the impact that it had on me. That was nearly 40 years ago – and the words are still true today.

After the story – I then go through the meaning of the poem – this time explicating the lines myself – as I see them. I believe at this point – after 3 sonnets that were left to the students – it’s ok to do – and it is the only way with the amount of time left in the period.

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116

1 Let me not to the marriage of true minds�2 Admit impediments. Love is not love�3 Which alters when it alteration finds,�4 Or bends with the remover to remove.�5 O no! it is an ever-fixed mark�6 That looks on tempests and is never shaken;�7 It is the star to every wand'ring bark,�8 Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.�9 Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks�10 Within his bending sickle's compass come;�11 Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,�12 But bears it out even to the edge of doom.�13 If this be error and upon me prov'd,�14 I never writ, nor no man ever lov'd.

1 – 2: I’m only objecting to the marriage of those who are ill-matched�2-3: Love doesn’t change when people change (or age) – This is a beautiful counterpoint to the Raleigh’s “Nymph’s Reply” argument.

4: Love is not removed when of the lovers is removed.

5. Now the navigational metaphor begins – Love is a landmark – a point on a map

6. It goes through storms – yes there will be arguments – but the love is not shaken.

7. Love is the navigational “star” that we use to set our course on our ship (bark)

8. We don’t the “star” or “love’s” worth – though we use it to navigate (with our sextant – taking its height)

9-10. Love does not change with time – though certainly our bodies (lips, cheeks, everything) feel the toil and price of time.

Love (again) does not change with time (take that Nymph!)
In fact, Love goes on until the End of Time (edge of doom)

13-14. If I’m wrong about all of this and you prove it – well then Love has never existed and I never wrote – but of course this is my writing – so….

And as I said – 40 years later it is all still true…