Reagan Peterson

The Meta-Sonnets Podcast = A New Way to Read Shakespeare's Poetry

<p>Shakespeare's Sonnets is a famous and beloved piece of writing, but, in the view of this podcaster, the work is misunderstood and only about half as good as it can be, if a reader knows what to look for.&nbsp; This podcast will explore The Sonnets on three levels:<br><br>Level 1: The 154 poems group perfectly in an 11x14 Meta-Sonnet structure.&nbsp; This means that there are 11 groups of 14 sonnets and each sonnet functions as a line within a larger sonnet.&nbsp; Furthermore, these 11 sections group into 5 acts (with the first 3 sections forming Act 1 and each subsequent Act is 2 sections long).&nbsp; Regardless how readers interpret The Sonnets, they will notice that thematically similar sonnets almost always group neatly into Meta-Sonnet quatrains and couplets.&nbsp; They will also see that narrative arcs start and stop neatly within their sections and acts.&nbsp; Reading the poems in this way enables readers to make connections that would otherwise be invisible.<br><br>Level 2: There are three main characters in The Sonnets: the Poet, the Fair Youth, and the Dark Lady.&nbsp; Many readers see these characters as real people who lived 400 years ago and nothing more.&nbsp; That's fine, but there's plenty of textual evidence that the Fair Youth can also be a personification for poetry/the work itself (not a new idea) and the Dark Lady can be seen as a personification of the Sonnet Format/Renaissance Poetic Conventions/Meta-Sonnets.&nbsp; As such, in this view, The Sonnets is not the private love poems of bi-sexual playwright.&nbsp; Rather, it is a critical examination of the relationship between poet, poetry, and form.&nbsp; Other interpretations are perfectly valid, but this is new way to enjoy the work.&nbsp; Importantly, readers need to see the Meta-Sonnets to full appreciate this interpretation of poems.<br><br>Level 3: Assuming Level 1 and Level 2 are true, astute readers will have some serious questions.&nbsp; Maybe they won't and they can just connect the Meta-Sonnets to their existing ideas, but, for others, they will want some answers and rightfully&nbsp; demand an explanation.&nbsp; For example: how could this have happened?&nbsp; Why would Shakespeare have done this?&nbsp; If it's too perfect to be random, why did Shakespeare create Meta-Sonnets and not tell anyone?&nbsp; Honestly, I have no secret knowledge about Shakespeare, but I do have the text.&nbsp; Sonnet 43 (and Act 2 in general/the Second Season of this Podcast) is the best place to go for answers, but there are clues in other sonnets too.&nbsp; In short, the text leads me to believe:<br><br>1. Shakespeare invented Meta-Sonnets and wrote about them in the work.<br>2. He intentionally kept them a secret.<br>3. He knew that seeing them would double the reading pleasure.<br>4. If Sonnet 43 was an early sonnet (many scholars believe yes), then that suggests that Shakespeare always intended for The Sonnets to have secret Meta-Sonnets.<br><br>These Three Levels are very different.&nbsp; Most readers can easily accept the First Level and many readers are comfortable with the Second Level.&nbsp; The Third Level, however, is scary.&nbsp; Many might even suggest off-putting or ridiculous, and, without a doubt, it is controversial.&nbsp; Fair enough.&nbsp; If readers want to ignore the Third Level, that is fine, but it does not discredit the first two.&nbsp; Having said that, I will explore all three in the podcast.</p>

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