Poet Wendy Cope discusses Sonnet 29 from Shakespeare, exploring themes of love and happiness. They also debate about Shakespeare's personal emotions while writing the sonnets.
Sonnet 29 begins with a melancholic tone but transforms into a beautiful love poem emphasizing the value of love over material success.
There is an ongoing debate among academics about whether Shakespeare's sonnets were fueled by true love or merely academic exercises, but the speaker holds the belief that they were driven by genuine love.
Deep dives
The Dual Nature of Sonnet 29
Sonnet 29, chosen by the speaker, begins with a melancholic tone as the narrator feels worthless and in disgrace. However, the poem takes a positive turn towards the end, transforming into a beautiful love poem. The final couplet emphasizes the value of love over material success and suggests that having someone to love is more important than achieving worldly accomplishments.
Debating Shakespeare's Romantic State
The speaker reflects on their disagreement with their partner regarding whether Shakespeare was genuinely in love when writing these sonnets. While the speaker finds it hard to believe that these sonnets could be written without genuine love, there is an opposing view among academics suggesting they were merely exercises. The speaker, however, remains unconvinced and holds the belief that Shakespeare's sonnets were fueled by true love and not merely academic exercises.