Holy Sonnet 14

My blog may begin to sound as if I never like anything. I am not a poetry person. I do not enjoy poetry for no reason other than the childish I just do not like it. Although I dislike poetry, Donne's Holy Sonnet #14 was not all bad. Never would I have thought that a poem about a relationship with God could seem like a raunchy sex poem. It reads as a risque dirty work but it is so very clean. Donne is calling for God to take him over completely, protect him, become a part of him, but yet do not let him get away with anything. What a poem!

At a time when most works were of Christain background Holy Sonnet #14 fits in well with others, but in a stand-out way. Well done, Donne.

Henry IV

At the beginning of Henry IV I was bored. I may be the only English major that does not fully enjoy reading Shakespeare, but I do not like it. I am just not a fan. It could be that I struggle with reading it or maybe I rush through it but I I have never enjoyed his writing. To enjoy Shakespeare I usually need somebody much wiser than I to interpret the work into terms that make sense to me. Obviously my hand was not held through the play, but after finishing and reviewing the play, I don't hate it. I am still not to the thoroughly enjoyed it stage but I understand it.

I did have a favorite plot line. Prince Hal's battle between fun Hal and Prince Henry is a battle everyone goes through at some point in their life - stuck between who they want to be and who someone else wants them to be. Hal and I have one thing in common. The person/people wanting us to be someone else was our parent(s). I can relate to Hal. He wanted to be fun Hal - the bar-cruising, fun loving guy and his father wanted him to be the heir to the throne and the true prince. Shakespeare and I may not necessarily get along but we had a connection in Henry IV.

When asked what I know about the Rennaissance my answer is always William Shakespeare. The man was lucky to have lived in the rebirth of the arts and to have access ot his own theatre. Henry IV is a historical play framing what actually happened during the time with King Henry. Because of the timeline within the play, Henry IV fits perfectly in the Rennaissance period.

The Fairy Queen

I typically enjoy a story with a knight in shining aromor, a fairy princess, and a slayed dragon. Althought "The Fairy Queen" seems to be only that, it is not. Edmund Spenser as a writer made an excellent choice to write about a topic everybody loves: a hero in battle with an evil dragon and a beautiful princess. Although it may seem to be as shallow as a simple story, once again, it is not. I enjoyed Spencer's work as a religous allegory. Uncoincidentally, the knight or Holinesse (hmm...did I say a religous allegory?) is working to find a true life of faith versus a sinful life.

As a writer during a confusing and chaotic time within the whole Christian Church Spenser illustrated a struggle most individuals were having very clearly. Though it may have been a religous story with political issues woven into it, the story was completely enjoyable.