William Shakespeare's Sonnet 29 Reflection and Analysis
Ashley Terreforte
Introduction to Literature
Instructor Danielle Slaughter
March 27th, 2013

In this paper I will be explaining why I find William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29 interesting and what about the sonnet that catches my attention. I have always been a big fan of all of Shakespeare’s work only because his writing style and the words he uses to make his point within the play, sonnet, or piece of literature. The way Shakespeare writes I find very interesting and sometimes confuses me but that is what keeps me interested because I am continually learning how to define what it is that Shakespeare is trying to say within his literature. In William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29 the form, language, and content of the poem are what keep in engaged and wondering what would go through Shakespeare's mind when he sat down to write Sonnet 29. The form in which Shakespeare wrote Sonnet 29 and many other of his sonnets with the AB AB CD CD EF EF GG form reminds me of the notes on a music staff and that is what keeps most interested because in my head I look at it as a song and in a way it kind of is. The Elements in which kept me intrigued in William Shakespeare's Sonnet 29 did not affect my response to the poem, however because of the language used to write the poem I did tend to focus more on trying to understand what Shakespeare was saying because of the language used. In William Shakespeare's Sonnet 29 the form in which he writes the sonnet I find very interesting. A sonnet by definition “is a highly structured form of lyric poetry” (R.W. Clugston, 2010). There are a couple different types of sonnets an Italian or Petrarchan style, a Spenserian, and an English style sonnet. The English sonnet being the easiest of all three and also the style in which Sonnet 29 was written in. Although the pattern of the sonnet that Shakespeare wrote Sonnet 29 in is AB AB CD CD EF EF GG, when I look at it I see notes on a music staff and it makes me think of it a song even though the two patterns are completely different because the notes on the music scale go C D E F G A B C D E F.

Another element that really keeps me engaged in the poem Sonnet 29 is the language in which Shakespeare writes not only Sonnet 29 but all of his literature. The language Shakespeare uses in is literature is Old English and sometimes is very confusing to me but that is what keeps me interested because it makes me want to understand the message Shakespeare is trying to convey in his literature and because Old English is very different from the way we speak today it can be sometimes hard to understand and take more time for me to understand. “ Wishing me like to one more rich in hope, Featured like him, like him with friends possessed, Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope, With what I most enjoy contented least,”( W. Shakespeare, lines 5-8). Being that Sonnet 29 is written in Old English I do tend to focus more on understanding what Shakespeare is saying within his literature because sometimes it is hard for me to understand what he is saying. At first glance of lines five through eight I read; He wishes to be rich and enjoy what they have, He wishes to have what that man has friends and skills, What once did bring him enjoyment no longer does. Once I finished Sonnet 29 they message I got out of it was the man in the poem was insecure admiring what the wealthy man has and gets to experience and wishes he could to. In all of William Shakespeare’s literature whether it be a sonnet or a play he wrote I think what makes them most interesting is the content he chose to use and write about. In every play or sonnet that I have ever read written by Shakespeare if you play close attention is about human nature and people admiring and wanting what they cannot have or can manipulate their way into having. A quote that I once read said by Shakespeare was “Poor and content is rich, and rich enough” (William Shakespeare). I believe that quote truly says a lot and looking back at all of the literature I have read written by Shakespeare are the opposite of that because there is always some who is plotting to manipulate someone to get what they want or not being happy with the place that they are in and wishing they had more. That is why I love reading pretty much anything Shakespeare has written. The Elements in which kept me intrigued in William Shakespeare's Sonnet 29 did not affect my response to the poem, however because of the language used to write the poem I did tend to focus more on trying to understand what Shakespeare was saying because of the language used. Another aspect that I found interesting is that the quote Shakespeare was said was that “Poor and content is rich, and rich enough”, yet Sonnet 29 and almost all of Shakespeare’s work show people who are not content with what they do have and continually wish for more or what may be out of their reach.

Reference Page
R.W. Clugston. Introduction to Literature. Bridgepoint Education Inc. Retrived from www.content.ashford.edu/books

Miller, N. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.sonnets.org

hakespeare, W. (n.d.). shakespears's sonnets. Retrieved from www.shakespeares-sonnets.com/sonnet/29