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Linguistic
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Semantic
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Structural
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Cultural
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Specific textual examples of what you’ve observed
when reading at this level—cited in MLA format.
(You may use numbers or bullets here to take notes)
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“A woman’s face, with
nature’s own hand painted,” (1)
“the master-mistress of my passion” (3)
“But since she pricked thee out for women’s pleasure” (13)
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“the master-mistress
of my passion” (3)
“A man in hue, all
hues in his controlling,
Which steals men’s
eyes and women’s souls amazeth” (7-8)
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“A woman’s face, with
nature’s own hand painted,” (1)
“But since she pricked thee out for women’s pleasure” (13)
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“the master-mistress of my passion” (3)
“A man in hue, all
hues in his controlling,
Which steals men’s
eyes and women’s souls amazeth.” (7-8)
“But since she pricked thee out for women’s pleasure
Mine be thy love, and thy love’s use their treasure.” (13-14)
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Demonstrate the development of complexity of thought
at each level by writing a descriptive response to what you’ve written in the
row above. (Analyze your thought patterns when observing the examples you’ve
listed above—these may also be in note-taking form)
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This sonnet is a
Shakespearean sonnet, so formatting is important to recognize. There are three
quatrains and an ending rhyming couplet, which reveals the main idea of the
poem. The rhyme scheme engages the reader because it is lyrical. Shakespeare
first introduces the subject, and then describes the subject, creating a
dramatic and meaningful characterization. He uses juxtaposition to create the
conflict in his poem. In his couplet, he uses a pun to summarize different
characteristics of this sonnet within the first line, and then the ultimate
meaning in the second.
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The juxtaposition utilized
when describing the subject as “master-mistress” creates the sense that this
is a man who is the master, in full control, of the speaker’s attention. By
using the word “mistress” after, the subject is seducing him, and the speaker
is aware that their love is considered wrong; forcing him to hide it,
considering the word mistress is associated with women, this proves the
speaker’s homosexual identity even further. It is blatantly stated that the
subject is a man in lines 7-8, and the speaker idolizes this man as so
alluring that he captures the attention of both women and men. This is another hint that the speaker is a
man. Both examples reveal themes of love and homosexuality.
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In the first line, the
descriptive phrase characterizing the subject is places after the subject,
rather than before. This creates a dramatic description of the speaker’s
love, while simultaneously revealing that subject is not a woman. This is all
taking place at the beginning of the poem, contained within one line, which
sets up the stage for how the rest of the poem will unfold. At the end of the
poem, the pun of the word “picked” allows the reader to understand that the
subject is a man, created by nature to physically love a woman, and
concurrently captures the essence of the how special the subject is; so
alluring and perfect that nature must have focused extra attention on him.
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This poem captures the essence
of forbidden love. The speaker cannot physically love the subject; they are
both men and their society has instilled heterosexuality as a regime that
must be followed. The entire poem idolizes the subject as the perfect person,
that just so happens to be a man. This man is so enticing that people from
both genders fall in love with him; especially the speaker. Since the speaker
is a man and this subject is a man, the speaker must only emotionally love
this man, because any form of physical togetherness cannot be tolerated.
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Close Reading Text Analysis Chart
Complete
the chart below by synthesizing your notes (above) into a brief (but
thorough—fill the space) analysis of each level as it applies to your passage.
You may replicate the chart and type your responses in the space provided—size
10 font, Times New Roman, roughly 300 words apiece
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William Shakespeare’s Sonnet #20
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Analysis of Close Reading
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A
woman’s face, with nature’s own hand painted,
Hast
thou, the master-mistress of my passion;
A
woman’s gentle heart, but not acquainted
With
shifting change, as is false women’s fashion;
An
eye more bright than theirs, less false in rolling,
Gilding
the object whereupon it gazeth;
A
man in hue, all hues in his controlling,
Which
steals men’s eyes and women’s souls amazeth.
And
for a woman wert thou first created,
Till
nature as she wrought thee fell a-doting,
And
by addition me of thee defeated,
By
adding one thing to my purpose nothing.
But
since she pricked thee out for women’s pleasure,
Mine
be thy love, and thy love’s use their treasure.
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This sonnet, though it
does not directly relate to any of the works I have chosen, relates to my
theme of Shakespeare’s homosexuality. This idea of homosexuality is important
to recognize, as this explains why Shakespeare would identify with women.
This speaker idolizes the subject in this sonnet; this is evident in the
beginning when the speaker gives this man all of the alluring characteristics
of a woman without the negative characteristics of women. The speaker creates
this image by using contrasting diction. At the end, the speaker refers to
the subject as his love. Assuming the speaker’s voice is an outlet in which
Shakespeare can reveal his true feelings, this implies that he does identify
as a homosexual. Considering homosexuals were outcasts, frowned upon by
Shakespeare’s society, this explains why Shakespeare gives his female
characters such strong voices. He identifies with their oppression; since
Shakespeare hides his true sexuality, his voice is respected. This allows him
to aid women in their fight for equality.
This sonnet is a
Shakespearean sonnet, so formatting is important to recognize. There are
three quatrains and an ending rhyming couplet, which reveals the main idea of
the poem. The rhyme scheme engages the reader because it is lyrical.
Shakespeare first introduces the subject, and then describes the subject,
creating a dramatic and meaningful characterization. He uses juxtaposition to
create the conflict in his poem. In his couplet, he uses a pun to summarize
different characteristics of this sonnet within the first line, and then the
ultimate meaning in the second.
In the first line, the
descriptive phrase characterizing the subject is places after the subject,
rather than before. This creates a dramatic description of the speaker’s
love, while simultaneously revealing that subject is not a woman. This is all
taking place at the beginning of the poem, contained within one line, which
sets up the stage for how the rest of the poem will unfold. At the end of the
poem, the pun of the word “picked” allows the reader to understand that the
subject is a man, created by nature to physically love a woman, and
concurrently captures the essence of the how special the subject is; so
alluring and perfect that nature must have focused extra attention on him.
The juxtaposition
utilized when describing the subject as “master-mistress” creates the sense
that this is a man who is the master, in full control, of the speaker’s
attention. By using the word “mistress” after, the subject is seducing him,
and the speaker is aware that their love is considered wrong; forcing him to
hide it, considering the word mistress is associated with women, this proves
the speaker’s homosexual identity even further. It is blatantly stated that
the subject is a man in lines 7-8, and the speaker idolizes this man as so
alluring that he captures the attention of both women and men. This is another hint that the speaker is a
man. Both examples reveal themes of love and homosexuality.
This poem captures the essence
of forbidden love. The speaker cannot physically love the subject; they are
both men and their society has instilled heterosexuality as a regime that
must be followed. The entire poem idolizes the subject as the perfect person,
that just so happens to be a man. This man is so enticing that people from
both genders fall in love with him; especially the speaker. Since the speaker
is a man and this subject is a man, the speaker must only emotionally love
this man, because any form of physical togetherness cannot be tolerated.
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