Creative Engagement/ Where Did That Word Come From?

Having to search for a word in Oxford English Dictionary resulted in a thought coming to my mind. How many words did Shakespeare contribute to our vocabulary? This is what I found. Shakespeare is credited by the Oxford English Dictionary with the introduction of nearly 3,000 words into the language. His vocabulary, as culled from his works, numbers upward of 17,000 words (quadruple that of an average, well-educated conversationalist in the language). In the words of Louis Marder, "Shakespeare was so facile in employing words that he was able to use over 7,000 of them—more than occur in the whole King James version of the Bible—only once and never again." (http://www.bardweb.net/language.html) This is AMAZING as he had very little formal education.

The link will provide the words Shakespeare invented.

http://www.shakespeare-online.com/biography/wordsinvented.html

A Sonnet To A Past Loved One

It is believed that in Sonnet 55, the speaker is seeking to build a metaphoric monument dedicated to his beloved, the fair lord. It seems that the character of the fair lord reoccurs throughout some of Shakespeare’s sonnets. I find it interesting that the ‘fair lord’ is not described or revealed throughout this sonnet as it leaves a mysterious tone and allows the reader to assume which characteristics he obtains. The poet says, “you live in this, and dwell in lovers’ eyes (Line 14),” which may show that it doesn’t matter exactly how he is described because he is inhabited in the eyes of those who loves him- especially the writer in this case. Another interesting thought is that the reference to Judgment day (Line 13), may propose that the fair lord’s identity will be revealed as one must be themselves and pure when God is deciding if one can enter heaven.

After having the opportunity of visiting Shakespeare’s house a few years ago, I remember learning that his son died at an early age. It is said that Hamnet’s death had an effect on Shakespeare’s tone in his writing. So, because of that I wanted to bring up the possibility of this Sonnet being about Hamnet’s death, rather than the ‘fair lord’. There are certain pieces throughout the sonnet that demonstrates this idea. To start off, the “gilded monument” that he is writing about in Line 1 can be referring to a memorial being build for Hamnet. Another one in particular was  “You shall shine more bright (Line 3).” When thinking about what shine bright, the sun comes into mind- sun/son. The homophones of son and sun allow the reader to think that Shakespeare’s son will shine on in people’s hearts after his death.

It is also evident that immortality is a huge part of Shakespeare’s sonnets. Throughout his pieces he depicts the negative effects of time- the inevitable effects on beauty. For example, he talks about how he does not want his beloved to develop features such as wrinkles or grow gray hair. Throughout Sonnet 55 Shakespeare refers to the word “live” and words that include “live” in them, for example “outlive (line 2)”, “living record (line 8)”, “oblivious (line 9)”, and “you live in this (line 14).” This reoccurring word can mean different things such as living in an afterlife, living in a memory, or his desire to have his son be alive again.

When making an opinion on whom you think the sonnet is about- Hamnet or ‘fair lord’ one may think about how intimately it is written. It seems like it can go either way. Shakespeare was very close with his son, so it is understandable that he would want a golden monument for him in his honor. But on the other hand, the reader has had previous experience with the fair lord as he is mentioned throughout other sonnets. I like how Shakespeare has left it open for interpretation- we’ll probably never get a definite answer, and I am sure that people who will be re-reading all of these sonnets in the present and in the future, new ideas will come into mind and the cycle will continue.

The Typical Sonnet Sequence

Sir Philip Sidney’s From Astrophil and Stella is filled with misery, confusion, passion and suffering. Astrophil, the narrator in these sonnets, falls madly in love with Stella, a charming, beautiful woman. By reading the sonnets the reader can pick up on Astrophil’s extreme obsession with Stella. Emotions overflow each sonnet, some with more of an uplifting mood than others. For example, in Sonnet 2, the reader immediately can feel the strong emotions that overcome Astrophil. It makes the reader question, what is it about her that he is so infatuated with? Why can’t she love him back? Why doesn’t she love him back? When first reading this sonnet the feelings he was expressing were somewhat overwhelming. Being that this is only the second sonnet, the reader can feel somewhat sorrowful for Astrophil, especially when he ends the sonnet with, “To make myself believe that all is well, while with a feeling skill I paint my hell (lines 13-14).” It is the idea of being happy on the outside but distraught on the inside.

I think it would be insightful if there were a sonnet sequence with Stella’s internal feelings and emotions because throughout From Astrophil and Stella the reader is mainly focused and informed on Astrophil’s desires and longings. It would give a new perspective on the plot that Sidney is portraying. Learning about Stella’s inner thoughts could answer many questions that the reader was having and open up new ones. Just as the book Grendel opened up new point of views, I feel like a sonnet sequence by the character of Stella would do the same.

It is clear that Edmund Spenser’s From Amoretti sonnet sequence is filled with love and passion due to Spenser’s recent courtship and marriage with Elizabeth Boyle. These sonnets distinctly stood out to me because of how the narrator did not have an overwhelming amount of distress or despair due to a woman in which he is in love with, is not loving him back. Although, there are some points throughout the sonnets where he seems discouraged, he has a way to change that emotion and induce romance into situations. For example, in Sonnet 65 Elizabeth obtains doubt, as she does not want her freedom taken away once they are united. Amoretti immediately seems to reverse these negative thoughts with saying, “That fondly feare to loose you liberty, when loosing one, two liberties ye gayne…” (lines 2-4). He moves on to relate her feeling of captivity to a “gentle birde” entrapped in a cage. A bird itself does not feel like a prisoner as she can sing and is taken care of which overall leads to satisfaction- “feeds her fill.” Together they can heal each other’s wounds and therefore when they are indeed married she will not have to fear.

The reason I chose these two authors was because of how Spenser’s From Amoretti’s sonnet sequence seemed to defy the typical sonnet sequence. I used Sir Philip Sidney’s From Astrophil and Stella to show how the sonnets that I have had to read are typically filled with longings for lust, and the idea of wanting something that you cannot have. Spenser’s sonnets were filled with romance, love and the desire to be in lust even after death, which he demonstrated through compliments and descriptive characterization with his word choice. I found it intriguing to read a sonnet sequence in which sadness or discouragement did not take over each sonnet.

Lyric Sequence Blog- Wildcard

The album I chose to do for my Wildcard is Keep Your Eyes Ahead by The Helio Sequence. The album begins with the person being in a state of denial that he is still in love. As it continues to the middle of the album he expresses a different mood as now he is becoming more free, for example as seen in Shed Your Love, “escaping it all to see what I could find.” He is exploring throughout his day and wishes for an old love to shed love so he can capture it. As the album moves towards the last song the listener learns that he has no regrets about walking out on his love, “ I’ll walk out that door and I won’t shed a tear.”

           The first song on the album is Lately it has a melancholic feel to it once listening to the lyrics and hearing the distinct repetition, as the person is trying to convince himself that he is not in love anymore. He continues to express that could care less about what his past love is doing, “I never think of calling you or how things could have been.” He it clear that he is in a state of turmoil as he is not able to concentrate or sleep. This makes the listener question; does he really want to let go? Or does he wish he could have her back? I believe that he indeed wants her back and is in denial of his true feelings, which is a typical part of trying to fall out of love with someone. His love for her is deep within in his soul and no matter how many times he says “Lately, I don’t think of you at all” it seems that is all he can do.

Track Listing

1. "Lately" – 4:10
2. "Can't Say No" – 3:32
3. "The Captive Mind" – 3:34
4. "You Can Come to Me" – 4:00
5. "Shed Your Love" – 3:18
6. "Keep Your Eyes Ahead" – 4:25
7. "Back to This" – 3:34
8. "Hallelujah" – 4:29
9. "Broken Afternoon" – 4:18
10. "No Regrets" – 1:42

Major Themes Throughout Beowulf

Heroism, reputation, and allusion to God are major ideas that are presented in Beowulf. It seems that the more you act like a hero, the more you are respected and supported by others. To act and become a hero, one must achieve something that others have not been able to do before. Beowulf proves himself to have heroic qualities throughout this poem, but these qualities are what God chooses for him.

            Starting off with the introduction really helped in giving an idea of what was expected of various characters, for example, “When a warrior vowed loyalty to his lord, he became not so much his servant as his voluntary companion, one who would take pride in defending him and fighting in his wars.” (30-31). It also prepares the reader for the type of mood that the poem will start off which helps demonstrate what type of language and vibe will come ahead. It primed me for a poem that I had never previously read before. 

The beginning of the poem immediately gave the sense of how important it is to have courage throughout ones lifetime, so when death occurs he will be remembered for all of the audacious things that had previously been done and therefore a good reputation will stay alive. Line of ancestry was also demonstrated in the prologue, “…when fighting starts steadfast companions will stand by him and hold the line. Behavior that’s admired.” (34) Respect and support for those who will fight for other is evident and seems to be important for those who hold that position.

God plays a very important role throughout Beowulf it is evident how Beowulf acknowledges God as his protector time and time again in the poem. He takes it upon himself to travel to Heorot and fight the demon Grendel or as he quotes, “God-cursed Grendel (48)” and whoever else comes in his way of obtaining peace for the people. The idea of heaven and hell is apparent when “The hero observed that swamp-like thing from hell…(66).” Throughout his soliloquies he references to God as the one who has the power to choose his fate and assist him in his times of need. For example, during the celebration that occurred after the defeat of Grendel and Grendel’s mom Beowulf exclaims, “…if God had not helped me, the outcome would have been quick and fatal. (69)” Once he successfully defeated the enemies he immediately became viewed as more of a God-like figure. To overpower these monsters he needed to have characteristics such as courage and desire to prove the desire of heroism within him.  He truly does believe that “Almighty God rules over mankind and always has (48).” God’s presence is huge and every action that takes place; whether it is to win a battle, or be superior, He is the one who has the power to demonstrate who is capable of achieving greatness or failing miserably.            

Testing

Just experimenting writing on my blog!