Quiz

Sonnet 29

William Shakespeare

1. 1. What is the formal structure of 'Sonnet 29'?

   A Petrarchan sonnet with an octave and sestet separated by a voltaA Shakespearean sonnet with three quatrains and a closing coupletA Spenserian sonnet with interlocking rhyme across three quatrainsA free-verse poem organized into two equal stanzas of seven lines

2. 2. Where does the poem's volta—its major emotional turn—occur?

   At the opening of the second quatrain, line 5At the start of the third quatrain, line 9At the word 'Haply' in line 10At the beginning of the closing couplet, line 13

3. 3. What does the word 'bootless' mean as used in line 3: 'my bootless cries'?

   Loud and unrestrainedFutile and unavailingWhispered and secretiveFaithful and sincere

4. 4. The simile 'Like to the lark at break of day arising / From sullen earth' primarily conveys which idea?

   The speaker's love is as fleeting as birdsong at dawnThe speaker's spirit soars upward from a state of gloom when he thinks of the belovedNature itself rejoices whenever the beloved is nearThe speaker escapes his troubles by going outdoors at sunrise

5. 5. Which poetic technique is most prominently used in line 6: 'Featur'd like him, like him with friends possess'd'?

   ApostropheAnaphoraSynecdocheChiasmus

6. 6. What is the overall tone of the first eight lines of the sonnet?

   Nostalgic and wistfulSelf-pitying and despairingDefiant and bitterDetached and philosophical

7. 7. Who or what is described as 'deaf' in the poem, and what does this suggest?

   The speaker's rivals, who ignore his pleas for recognitionHeaven, suggesting God does not respond to the speaker's prayersThe beloved, who is unaware of the speaker's sufferingFortune, personified as an indifferent goddess

8. 8. What theme is most central to 'Sonnet 29'?

   The corrupting power of envy and ambitionThe redemptive power of love over despairThe inevitability of social inequalityThe conflict between faith and doubt

9. 9. In the closing couplet, the speaker claims he would 'scorn to change my state with kings.' What does this reveal about his emotional condition at the poem's end?

   He has accepted his low social position with resigned humilityHe feels so enriched by the beloved's love that he considers himself superior even to royaltyHe is boasting about a literal improvement in his financial fortuneHe is criticizing the emptiness of political power

10. 10. The repeated phrase 'my state' appears in both line 10 and line 14 of the sonnet. How does its meaning shift between the two uses?

    In line 10 it means the speaker's legal status; in line 14 it means his moodIn line 10 it refers to the speaker's miserable condition; in line 14 it refers to his elevated, joyful conditionBoth uses refer identically to the speaker's social rank among menIn line 10 it signals ambition; in line 14 it signals religious salvation
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