Poem -
"Being Me" does Shakespeare
I have been reading Shakespeare. I had a go at writing in response to his sonnet "Shall I compare thee to a summer'...
O, sweet sir, me thinks thine eyes deceive thee:
If thou canst see the fairest of the fair
In summer's days, thou knowest not of me,
Though I, in knowing thee, have much to care.
Trouble not thy good self with quill or ink,
Wipe thy fevered brow, hush thy furrowed mind,
Eternal lines ne'er lead a man to think
For thinking only hurts and love is blind.
O, sweet sir, this I saith unto thee,
Compare me not with any summer view
For a summer's day abounds with glory
And all of heaven knowest it be true:
None art as fair as darling buds of May.
How canst I compare to a summer's day?
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Comments
wonderful poem Tina
when i was in England
one tine i went to
Stratford upon avon
and saw Shakespeare
grave and went in this house
and driveing in the countryside
it was just a lovely day
Hi Greg! I am really pleased that you enjoyed your time in Stratford upon Avon. I have never been there but it is a place I feel I must go and visit. I wanted to go and see Macbeth there back last year (might've been year before) but I never got around to going. Lack of funds mainly. Haworth House is another place I would love to visit. It is the family home of the Bronte sisters, Anne, Charlotte and Emily. Think Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre etc. I love Emily's poetry. If ever you are in England again this would be a fabulous place to visit. It is on the North Yorkshire moors, a wild, desolate (in places) and extremely beautiful place.
Thank you so much for reading my little sonnet, I'm glad you like it x
Tina I would love to go back to England and see the places that you told me about maybe when the virus is over and I have my money I like mcBeth my favorite Brontë sisters are also my favorite Would love to go where they lived walk in the moooers If I’m spelling that right I don’t think I am when I went to Shakespeare’s grave staying at chipping Camden The ride there was beautiful English countryside is so beautiful One day I’ll get there again I do have a passport
The countryside is beautiful. Very soggy in the rain lol. Wales, Scotland and Ireland are also fantastic places to visit. I have found that certain spots in the countryside, be it, field, valley, mountain, forest or coast have a very magical feel. It's something ancient that transcends beyond explanation. But you can feel it. And it is glorious and beautiful, with a little touch of savagery. I hope very much that one day you will come back to visit us here in the UK x
But the next time that I go to England I probably will go to London I know the hotel that I want to stay at it’s called the Holiday Inn London form it’s in South Kensington I’ve stayed there before it’s a great hotel The science Museum in the history Museum is down the street I always like to go in there if I do I’d like to meet you if you’d like to meet me someday I won’t be next year the virus is going to be around a long time I think
I live very close to London so a meet up is absolutely on the cards! Let us hope this virus can be effectively dealt with soon, whether that be by vaccination or by being able to easily cure it. Take care and keep safe, my friend x
Well once the vaccination comes out I will get it Then I can go anywhere Do you have a wonderful day peace and love to you
Peace and love to you too, Greg x
Wow...clever clever you!!! I am not a lover of Shakespeare but Tina you have done such a good job here!...and it's readable...always a bonus..? ..hugs ?
Hi Marion. I am chuffed you like it! I set myself a challenge to write a Shakespearean sonnet in the style of the great bard himself. I chose to do it by writing a reply to his sonnet no 18....shall I compare thee to a summers day?... It took a lot of work. Just learning how to use thees and thous and thys and thine lol. And then there was the way he used grammer and constructed the lines. It was actually extremely challenging. But I did the best I could.
Shakespeare was never my favourite but I have been reading more of his work lately. It is hard to understand.
Thank you for reading and leaving such a great reply x
Lovely quotes in this poem, well written. Nice work.
Thank you very much Liliana, for reading and for your gracious comment. I really appreciate it. Many, many thanks x
Wow what a fantastic twist so appealing and fantastic on the Shakespearean sonnet. Enjoyed it lots! Kudos!!
plz pleez do read and comment my newest poem too.
Hi Zaynab... Thank you very much. I appreciate you reading and leaving your thoughts. I will return the favour x
You captivate me Lass ?
Hi Greg... its lovely to see you around again! ? Thankyou so much for reading I am really pleased that you like this because it proved to be a real challenge for me. Thank you very much for your support, I really appreciate it.
I love your website by the way...The Deplorable Poet. Extremely professional and show cases your talents well, my dear friend x
Hi Being Me, I hope you are very well. A wonderful piece written in response to Shakespeare´s sonnet 18. Very clever and creative use of Early Modern English as was used in Shakespeare´s day. Widely interpreted as being a love poem written for a female, although recent scholarly research suggests that the first 30 of Shakespeare´s sonnets were written for a male, that male being a dear beloved friend of Shakespeare who he attempted to immortalize in his beautiful sonnet about eternal youth. There is much ongoing debate on the true sentiments of the sonnet and who Shakespeare wrote it for and about, people interpret it in many different ways which is one of the wonders of poetry and the written word. Many of the idiomatic expressions we still use in Modern English were created by Shakespeare or at least first put into print by The Bard.
I teach British culture, which includes Shakespeare´s life and works, English Language and Literature at Hertford College, University of Oxford as part of the university´s International Programmes. I would love to show and explain your beautiful piece to my students, permission granted of course or maybe you could do it yourself. Thank you for sharing your wonderful creativity. xx
Hi Tony, wow!! What a fabulous response! THANK YOU!
I did read about the sonnets being written for a male as opposed to female. I went with the female view, only because in order to be able to write anything remotely resembling a Shakespearean sonnet I felt I needed to slip into character. Once I studied the rudiments of language used I needed it to flow. Sooo...i read Sonnet no 18 a number of times. (I am not clever enough to be able to decipher the great bard's exact meaning). I tried reading study notes but they didnt help. So i read the sonnet and tried to slip myself back in time. Once I was there the language was able to flow and I found I could stand more of a chance completing my challenge rather than failing and giving up.
I am so very pleased and honoured that you like this and that I did okay with it. You teach British Culture...WOW! How very interesting. I would be absolutely honoured for you to show my sonnet here to your students...wow...you have just made my evening to be perfect. Thank you, Tony. Bless you x
Hi Being Me! Wonderful to hear from you. Amazing that you slipped into character to write your sonnet, unbelievably creative in bringing Sonnet 18 to life with your stunning response, an activity my students could play an active role in during drama and roleplay. It would be a great honour to share your sonnet with my students, thank you for the idea. I don´t know about making your evening perfect but I can tell you, you have made mine. Thank you and bless you too! xx
Awww... I often find my self "slipping into character" as I write. I did it for My Avalon, Scarlet, The Fisherman, The Last Visit... erm... Actually all of them in one way or another. I just find it easier to write that way. I have had my fair share of rants in poetry aswell though ?.
Thanks again. I wish you and your students the best of luck with it. I'd love to know how it went xx
You've managed to find my kryptonite....Olde English speak...bless you!
Hahaha.... Its pretty difficult isn't it? I thought it would be pretty straightforward until I learned that certain variations are used before a verb with either a consonant or vowel first letter. And the st making can canst (and that sort of thing) is dependent upon the other words around it and in what context the word is being used. It was like learning a foreign language! But I am glad I did the research... I needed to if I was going to be messing with Shakespeare lol.
Thank you so much for reading and commenting, Lisa. I do really appreciate it. Thank you ? x
Very interesting to find that you "had a go" at "Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? (Sonnet 18)" that had been translated into Chinese for my own muse some years ago :)
Hi Yiyan Han, thank you for reading and for leaving a comment! You translated sonnet 18 into Chinese? Wow! What I did here was to write an answer to Shakespeare's sonnet 18 using the type of language that would've been used back in the day. It was a challenge I set myself... And I found it to be quite a challenge indeed!
Thanks again for reading. And welcome to Cosmo ? x
Was a challenge for me as well and hope I got it right, more or less ;) As always there's room for improvement as I'm a perfectionist.
I am sure you got it right! I can imagine it was a huge challenge!
Me come back again, pinned this 5* piece, and most importantly, begin to appreciate what you've done!
I haven't got the luxury like you to read Shakespeare, and Sonnet 18 is all I can tell. What a shame!
Also I much enjoyed and was proud over 10 years ago when translating into Chinese the greatest love poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning: How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43). I think my translation is modern though I'm a late comer in doing so ;)
Awww...thank you! That is very sweet of you!
Ah, that poem by Elizabeth Barret Browning is gorgeous and a classic. How clever of you to translate it into chinese!
Thank you again for your very kind comment x
On the 22nd day of December 2020, I come again and try to convey:
O, sweet lady, me thinks thy photo deceives me:
If I canst see the beauty in you as the fairest of the fair
then I wish my eyes were blind not to see the summer's day
O, sweet lady, me wishes a Very Merry Christmas for you to enjoy
Hahaha...oh Yiyan that is just sooo sweet! A very merry christmas to you my dear friend. Let's hope for some good news for us all in the coming new year x
Glorious. In the way that Human is Poetry. Write On!!!
Thankyou for reading! So glad you like it. Apologies for my late reply x
Brilliant write, such a perfect poem with your use of old English words, this would fit right in back in Shakespeares time. Really well done. I thoroughly enjoyed this☀
Thank you so much for that, Shelley-Anne, that is exactly how I wanted it to read. As though it was written in Shakespeare's day. I wanted it to be a reply to his sonnet 18 and after having studied the use of the language back then, I imagined myself back in that time and penned it. I read, and read and read that sonnet! It was just a challenge I set myself. I am so glad you like it. Many, many thanks for reading and leaving such a lovely comment. I really appreciate it x
Methinks thoust fair maiden scribeth a perfect reciprocation.
And dare I say Tina one the Great Bard would probably salute you with his quill and tip you the wink.
14 lines of sheer sonnet delight and heavenly to read as well.
Full honours to you and thoroughly deserved and earnt
And beautifully well done my friend.x.
Oh Shaun...I am thoroughly ashamed for not seeing this comment until now. I was just talking to Shirley about this sonnet and was looking where it was to let her know. And I have literally just seen your comment here. I really am so very sorry I missed this. My goodness, what must you think of me! I am embarrassed.
This HAS to be the longest time to reply on Cosmo ever, doesnt it (I wasnt going for the record by the way). My sincere apologies.
Thankyou, dear Shaun, for taking the time to read this. Thankyou 🙏 xx
Oh my goodness, I actually got goosebumps this is a brilliant reply sonnet, full of beauty and rhyme it dances just as it should and I love your last lines, bloody wonderfully creative. That's my favourite Shakespeare sonnet shaken up, just brilliant applause and a bow from me Brava BRAVA brava 🌹💐💐💐💐
Awww, thankyou, Shirley! I pretended that I was the recipient of the original sonnet (no 18 I think) and this was my reply to the great bard. It was a labour of love. I had to research how things were said and the right way to use all the thees thys and thous! There were rules (who knew?).
Anyway, thankyou for reading it and for your generous comments x
Well yes I know the language research is timely, hey your language is spot on exquisite. I'm so honoured to have read it. 🌹
And I am more than honoured that you read it. Thankyou x