In following with my original post about sonnet 116 - I'm interested in pursuing the more unconvential readings of this sonnet. And I found some pretty interesting sources:
1. For my scholarly source, I found an article by Jane Roessner titled, "The Coherence and the Context of Shakespeare's Sonnet 116." Roessner analysizes tone and diction in her essay, and while she still reads the sonnet as one of eternal enduring love, she discusses the use of negativity and cyncism suggests that the narrator is responding to infidelity (their own or their partner's) - thus adopting a rather subversive tone: a poem of denial.
2. For my informal source, I found a blogpost by Shakespearegeek called "Not So Fast, Sonnet 116!" in which he writes about an interview he had with Dr. Carl Atkins (author of Shakespeare's Sonnets: With Three Hundred Years of Commentary). In which he argues that 116 has been misread by the general public and is, all in all, "overrated." (I like this source because it exemplifies how blogs/social media can be used to encourage literary discourse by connecting with like-minded individuals and/or experts even).
3. Okay, so for my "media source," I remembered how in the film version of Sense and Sensability, Willoughby and Marianne recite sonnet 116 together. In the moment, it represents the two of them falling in love (perfectly aligning with Marianne's heightened sense of romanticism); however, their relationship ends tragically and she weds the more pragmatic Colonel Brandon. If we consider the interpretations offered by scholars like Atkins and Roessner - the sonnet becomes foreshadowing of a tragic and unreliable relationship as opposed to the ideal.
4. For my "social source" I discussed sonnet 116 with my roommate, Elisha (see photo above). She believes that Sonnet 116 is about how imperfect people try to love perfectly; in essence, they try to keep loving each other despite all odds, and while some people make it work, others succumb to the alterations found.
Why did they say 116 was overrated and misread? Maybe I'll go read it and use it in my post.
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