Down with Love...For Now At Least

So this week's topic was love poetry...great! I say that half heartedly because currently I'm in a phase where love is at the bottom of my personal totem pole. See my last post for further explanation because I think that the poem I wrote will explain it all! Professor Kuin did say that depending on where your personal emotions rest when reading love poetry, your interpretation of it will be different. What an understatement! While listening to the poems read in tutorial I couldn't get engaged at all and the metaphors were meaningless rubbish for me!

Since I'm currently out of love's favour, I've decided to do something rather interesting and have put three poems below. First we have a sonnet which I remember fondly enjoying when in love's favor and will no doubt enjoy it once more when love stops kicking my ass!

Sonnet 141
William Shakespeare

In faith I do not love thee with mine eyes,
For they in thee a thousand errors note;
But 'tis my heart that loves what they despise,
Who, in despite of view, is pleased to dote.
Nor are mine ears with thy tongue's tune delighted;
Nor tender feeling, to base touches prone,
Nor taste, nor smell, desire to be invited
To any sensual feast with thee alone:
But my five wits nor my five senses can
Dissuade one foolish heart from serving thee,
Who leaves unswayed the likeness of a man,
Thy proud heart's slave and vassal wretch to be:
Only my plague thus far I count my gain,
That she that makes me sin awards me pain.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that most of us have heard that poem at some point or another in either our academic or personal careers. It's a tried, tested and true favourite of many and rightly so I believe! Shakespeare is a master playwright and a bloody brilliant poet too. If that was your first time with the poem then I hope you enjoyed Shakespeare's rendition of not being sure why a poor chap is in love despite noting all of these errors in his love.

The second poem that is posted is one taken from the movie 10 Things I Hate about You which is loosely based on Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. The poem was written by one of the characters (Katrina) as an English assignment. The class was assigned to re-write Sonnet 141. At the time of Katrina's composition she is being tormented by love, so her version provides a stark contrast to the original sonnet in the way that it lacks the fluidity of language. Nor does she try to make excuses for her boyfriend's behaviour, demeanor and characteristics :

I hate the way you talk to me,
And the way you cut your hair
I hate the way you drive my car
I hate it when you stare.
I hate your big dumb combat boots
and the way you read my mind
I hate you so much it makes me sick;
it even makes me rhyme
I hate the way you’re always right.
I hate it when you lie.
I hate it when you make me laugh,
even worse when you make me cry
I hate the fact that you’re not around,
and the fact that you didn’t call
But mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you.
Not even close, not even a little bit, not at all

Sadly the poem isn't written in the correct form of a sonnet...note the 16 lines. Nor is there the consistent sonnet rhyme scheme of ababcdcdefefgg that can be easily found within Sonnet 141. Still the poem demonstrates how fickle love is and the range of emotions that it can make us feel.
The final poem that I've posted is one of my own creation. I decided to do what Katrina did...re-write Shakespeare's sonnet! I've decided to stay within the parameters of a sonnet so hello 14 lines of iambic pentameter and greetings to a rhyme scheme of ababcdcdefefgg:

I burn for you but why is not too clear.
You dress in plan and simple wears. Such a bore
To see indeed! And your cologne my dear,
Is much too heavy, repulsive even. What's more
You lack common reason and have little charm.
The gifts you give are not many this is true,
But cost a lot and shine too! Do not alarm
Just yet, because there still is hope for you.
You have a nice firm ass which makes me hot
And want your body! Plus your caress is well,
Magic or from heaven! I near forgot
Of your...oh wait! There is nothing to tell
Except that you claimed me with a kiss;
That left me dazed and want to talk like this.

So that is my first attempt at a sonnet. Aside from the lame, if not horrible reasons for either liking or disliking my fictitious beau, I think its alright. The rhyme scheme is sooo there which wasn't as hard as I thought. I'm hoping that I executed the iambic pentameter on each line, which after a while didn't give me as much trouble as I thought it would. Feel free to criticize my poem or even write your own.

sv