William Shakespeare

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William Shakespeare

• Sonnet 30

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What Is The Poet Saying?Quatrain One

• When to the sessions of sweet silent
  thought I summon up remembrance of things
  past, I sigh the lack of many a thing I
  sought, And with old woes new wail my dear
  times waste. (1-4)

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What Is The Poet Saying?Quatrain One

• The poet suggests that when he has time to
  reflect silently on his life, the things he
  remembers are the things he is now lacking.

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What Is The Poet Saying?Quatrain Two

• Then can I drown an eye, unused to
  flow, For precious friends hid in deaths
  dateless night, And weep afresh loves
  long since canceled woe, And moan the
  expense of many a vanished sight. (5-
  8)

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What Is The Poet Saying?Quatrain Two

• This quatrain explains his reaction to his
  memories.
• Then can I drown an eye
• This quatrain also explains why the memories of
  the poet are sad.
• For precious friends hid in deaths dateless
  night
• Death of his friends

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What Is The Poet Saying?Quatrain Three

• Then can I grieve at grievances
  foregone, And heavily from woe to woe
  tell oer The sad account of forebemoanèd
  moan, Which I new-pay as if not paid
  before. (9-12)

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What Is The Poet Saying?Quatrain Three

• Although these deaths happened in the past, the
  poet weeps as if he had not grieved before.
• Obviously, the poet misses his friends terribly.

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What Is The Poet Saying?Couplet

• But if the while I think on thee, dear
  friend, All losses are restored and
  sorrows end. (13-14)
• The purpose of the sonnet is similar to Sonnet 29
• If the poet merely thinks about this particular
  friend, all troubles and worries disappear.

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Poetic Devices

• Shakespearean Sonnet
• Rhyme Scheme
• abab cdcd efef gg
• 3 quatrains and 1 couplet

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Poetic Devices

• Shakespearean Sonnet
• Meter
• ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
  ? ? ?
• When to the sessions of sweet silent thought
• Iambic Pentameter

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Poetic Devices

• Volta
• In this sonnet, the volta occurs after the third
  quatrain
• Different from previous sonnets where the volta
  appeared after the second quatrain

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Poetic Devices

• Alliteration/Consonance
• When to the sessions of sweet silent thought (1)

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Poetic Devices

• Metaphor
• Focus on the court of law diction/imagery
• sessions (1)
• summon (2)
• grievances (9)

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Poetic Devices

• Tone/Mood
• First 12 lines
• Depressing
• Sad
• Last 2 lines
• Positive
• Happy

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Poetic Devices

• Theme
• Friendship