Answer: C. William Shakespeare. Explanation: This sonnet is one of 154 sonnets written by the English playwright and poet. It was most likely written in the 1590s, though it was not published until 1609. The sonnet is about the power of love to positively affect one’s mindset. It is part of the “Fair Youth” sequence of poems, in which the speaker expresses his love and adoration for a young man.
Answer: A. ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Explanation: This is a typical structure for a Shakespearean sonnet, which consists of three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and a concluding couplet (two-line stanza). The end rhymes of each line follow this pattern. This structured form allows Shakespeare to present and develop his ideas in a controlled yet poetic manner.
Answer: B. A young man. Explanation: This sonnet is part of the “Fair Youth” sequence of poems, in which the speaker expresses his love and adoration for a young man. However, it’s important to note that the poem has never been proven to be autobiographical.
Answer: C. Despairing. Explanation: The sonnet begins with the speaker lamenting his “outcast state” and is full of self-loathing. He is unhappy with the current status of his life and feels alone. The speaker notes that not even heaven hears his cries and pleads for help. The speaker curses his fate. This immense despair is later transformed into absolute joy when he remembers his “sweet love”.
Answer: C. curses his fate. Explanation: The speaker’s skyward wails receive no reply either from nature or from God. Angered and feeling abandoned, the speaker resorts to bitter sarcasm (when he facetiously remarks that he can “trouble” heaven) and swearing (“cursed my fate”). This immense despair is later transformed into absolute joy when he remembers his “sweet love”.
Answer: B. A lark. Explanation: The speaker’s mood rises, much like a lark taking off from the sullen earth. This bird symbolizes the speaker’s feeling of freedom and joy when he contemplates his love.
Answer: D. All of the above. Explanation: He expresses a desire to be more loved, to be more hopeful, and to be more artistic. He envies what other men have and is not content with what he possesses. Despite his depressive moments, he would not change anything when he thinks of his love.
Answer: B. Joyful. Explanation: Despite his initial despair and self-loathing, the speaker finds solace and joy when he thinks of his love. This person elevates him higher than a king, and his spirits rise, much like a lark taking off from the sullen earth. The speaker realizes the wealth he possesses in love, and the poem takes a cheerful turn.
Answer: B. Love as a form of wealth. Explanation: Despite his initial feelings of despair and isolation, the speaker finds solace and joy when he thinks of his love. This love is so powerful that it brings him a sense of spiritual wealth, even in times of economic hardship. The speaker realizes that the wealth he possesses in love is more valuable than material wealth.
Answer: B. He feels like a king. Explanation: The speaker’s mood rises, much like a lark taking off from the sullen earth. This bird symbolizes the speaker’s feeling of freedom and joy when he contemplates his love. Despite his initial feelings of despair and isolation, the speaker finds solace and joy when he thinks of his love. This love is so powerful that it brings him a sense of spiritual wealth, even in times of economic hardship. The speaker realizes that the wealth he possesses in love is more valuable than material wealth.
Answer: B. Melancholic. Explanation: The poem begins with the speaker in a state of despair, feeling like an outcast and almost despising himself. He feels insecure and believes that he lacks the resources to deal with life’s challenges. However, the tone of the poem drastically changes towards the end from dejection to optimism. Despite his depressive moments, he would not change anything when he thinks of his love. This shift in tone from melancholy to joy is one of the defining features of this sonnet.
Answer: D. He thinks of his beloved. Explanation: The mere thought of his love is enough to transform the speaker’s mood. This change is conveyed vividly by the beautiful simile in the third quatrain comparing his “state” to the “lark” rising from the “sullen earth” to “sing hymns at heaven’s gate”. The shift from “sullen earth” to “heaven’s gate” parallels the speaker’s emotional transformation. The speaker’s perspective changes, and he no longer desires to be anyone else. Despite his depressive moments, he would not change anything when he thinks of his love.
Answer: B. Transform his “state with kings”. Explanation: When the speaker thinks of his love, his spirit feels reborn, his gloom is lifted and in the end, he wouldn’t even swap lives with a king, such is his joy and contentment. This sonnet illustrates the power of love to transform even the darkest of situations. The speaker feels like a bird flying at sunrise, which expresses feelings of hope. Despite his depressive moments, he would not change anything when he thinks of his love.
Answer: A. Simile. Explanation: The phrase “Like to the lark” indicates a comparison using the word “like,” which signifies a simile. This line compares the speaker’s rising mood when he thinks about his love to a lark taking off from the sullen earth. The lark, a traditional symbol of hope, freely soars into the sky as the speaker’s mental and emotional state improve and are freed from the cage of despair and loneliness.
Answer: B. Personification. Explanation: In this phrase, the earth is given the human characteristic of being “sullen,” as if it can express a gloomy or dismal mood. This personification helps to emphasize the speaker’s initial state of despair in the sonnet.
Answer: A. Paradox. Explanation: A paradox is a statement that appears to contradict itself but may nonetheless be true. The line expresses a paradox because it suggests that the speaker is least contented with what he most enjoys. This could reflect the complex emotions the speaker is experiencing.
Answer: A. Hyperbole. Explanation: Hyperbole is a figure of speech that involves exaggeration for emphasis or dramatic effect. In this line, the speaker is expressing his feelings of despair and isolation in an exaggerated manner, suggesting that even heaven is deaf to his cries. This hyperbolic expression helps to emphasize the depth of the speaker’s sorrow and desperation.
Answer: D. All of the above. Explanation: Sonnet 29 explores several themes including love, jealousy, and anxiety. The speaker expresses his love for a young man, his jealousy of those who seem more fortunate, and his anxiety over his own perceived shortcomings. Despite his initial despair, the speaker finds solace and joy when he thinks of his love. This sonnet illustrates the power of love to transform even the darkest of situations.
Answer: C. Feels wealthy due to love. Explanation: The speaker expresses that the love shared with the beloved is enough wealth. This singular thought makes the speaker grateful, and he would hate to change his state of life, even to trade with a king. Despite his depressive moments, he would not change anything when he thinks of his love. This sonnet illustrates the power of love to transform even the darkest of situations.
Answer: C. Third quatrain. Explanation: This is where the speaker’s mood shifts from despair to joy as he remembers his beloved. The imagery of the lark signifies a metaphorical ascent from darkness to light. The shift from “sullen earth” to “heaven’s gate” parallels the speaker’s emotional transformation.
Answer: C. Shakespearean123. Explanation: Sonnet 29 is written in the typical Shakespearean sonnet form, having 14 lines of iambic pentameter ending in a rhymed couplet. This form is named after William Shakespeare, not because he was the first to write in this form but because he became its most famous practitioner. The form consists of three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and a final rhymed couplet. The rhyme scheme is typically ABAB CDCD EFEF GG123. This structure allows for a shift in tone or mood in the concluding couplet.
Answer: C. Iambic pentameter. Explanation: Sonnet 29, like most of Shakespeare’s sonnets, is written in iambic pentameter. This means that each line contains five sets of two beats, known as metrical feet. The first beat is unstressed, and the second is stressed. It sounds something like da-DUM, da-DUM. This meter is the most familiar rhythm in the English language and is commonly used in poetry.
Answer: B. 10 syllables. Explanation: Each line of Sonnet 29, like most of Shakespeare’s sonnets, is written in iambic pentameter. This means that each line contains five sets of two beats, known as metrical feet. The first beat is unstressed, and the second is stressed. It sounds something like da-DUM, da-DUM. As a result, each line of the sonnet has 10 syllables. This meter is the most familiar rhythm in the English language and is commonly used in poetry.
Answer: C. 14 lines. Explanation: Sonnet 29, like all Shakespearean sonnets, is composed of 14 lines. This structure is typical of a Shakespearean sonnet and consists of three quatrains (sets of four lines) and a final rhymed couplet (two lines). This form allows for a shift in tone or mood in the concluding couplet.
Answer: B. Power of Love. Explanation: Sonnet 29 explores several themes including love, jealousy, and anxiety. However, the primary theme is the Power of Love. The speaker expresses his love for a young man, and despite his initial feelings of despair and isolation, the speaker finds solace and joy when he thinks of his love. This sonnet illustrates the power of love to transform even the darkest of situations. The speaker’s mood rises, much like a lark taking off from the sullen earth. This bird symbolizes the speaker’s feeling of freedom and joy when he contemplates his love.
