Class Notes - 5/6/09

Ok, good news is, as of today, our class average is back above a 60% so we're back on a random-quiz schedule.  Bad news is we've still gotta talk about poetry. So, here's what we talked about today.

We began by talking about the 7th Holy Sonnet

(Laz said "snarky" too... don't think thats a real word...)

The poem lists all different ways to die in reference to how every soul left their body.

The person speaking is a narrative voice of a religious person, and he appears to be calling for Judgement Day.  However, this person cannot call for Judgement Day, only God can.  Therefore, arrogance is implied.

Line 8 refers to people who are alive at Judgement Day that will never experience death.

Line 9's turn moves away from arrogance and towards the right direction.  The narrator starts talking about repentance because he has realized his arrogance.

Since arrogance = pride and pride is one of the 7 deadly sins, he must repent before Judgement Day so that he is offered admittance into heaven.

The last line is a reference to crucifixion of Jesus which allowed our entrance to heaven.

Then we moved on to the 14th Holy Sonnet.

First line calls for suffering. - "Three person'd God" means the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Ghost)

The narrator believes that once he is beaten down, it will be better for him to be built back up in a more righteous way.

Viceroy = governor

This is another poem about repentance

Uses metaphors as examples. - calls himself "an usurp'd town" meaning that he has been infiltrated with sin.

In the turn, he asks God to grant him a divorce from Satan so he may marry God.  He is using sin (divorce) to become holy (in marriage).

Also in the inversion is the reference to imprisonment

He wishes to be imprisoned in good, so imprisonment becomes the new freedom.

Divorce has become the new marriage

Ravish = rape

He asks God to rape him, so rape becomes the new chastity.

--Patrick Lafferty