A Bit About the Bard

We began the second term by embarking on poetry. Very challenging since I am, until now, unfamiliar with Shakespeare's work (shame, isn't it?). Of course, I know much about the epic writer. I've watched the movie "Shakespeare in Love", heard about Romeo & Juliette and much more. According to Wikipedia, "one of the most well known sonnet writers is Shakespeare who wrote 154 sonnets."

We've been introduced to a couple of his sonnets and now must reflect upon the following question: How do you feel about sonnets as a poetic form? Do you like their structure or do you find them too limiting?
I would be lying if I said that I found Sonnet 1 to be an easy read. Despite it being concise, I found myself reading certain expressions that I found hard to swallow over and over again. Verses like "And only herald to the gaudy spring" (10) were unclear until I had them explained to me. Shakespeare, known for his vulgar messages, subtly hints this in his sonnet: "Feed'st thy light'st flame with self-substantial fuel". The interpretation of his verses differ from one person to the other. Some may argue that this is exactly what makes his work fascinating but I personally do not appreciate how he hasn't put his thoughts into simpler terms. The overall idea, once explained, can be quite interesting: beauty, procreation of human life and self-consumption.

The use of politically incorrect words such as "niggarding" (12), which means to hoard in context, demonstrate just how much the English language has evolved since Shakespeare's times. The difficult language makes the poem demanding. Also, there is a repetition in the pattern of rhymes throughout the poem: a - b - a - b. This makes the poem interesting to read aloud. All in all, I was disappointed with my first encounter with his work. But then again it may be too early to judge. Let's give the good old bard a shot before giving up on him.