Sonnet 29- Barrett Browning

1. Sonnet 29- Barrett Browning What could the leaves symbolise? Mini Starter Consider the idea of symbolism and note down your ideas about the tree… The branches? The trunk? The buds? The roots? Should: Explore and consider multiple interpretations of the poem. (AO1/AO2) Could: Analyse the language, form and structure of the poem. (AO2) Must: Understand and be able to thoughtfully explain the meaning and main themes of the poem. (AO1)

2. Sonnet Structure Work in pairs to decide if there is a change of any kind around line 8/9 in this sonnet. Sonnets have 14 lines, each line having 10 syllables with 5 stressed syllables. This kind of rhythm is called iambic pentameter. An iamb is a di-DA beat and pent means ‘five’, (as in pentagon). ‘I think of thee! – my thoughts do twine and bud’ A sonnet is usually divided into 8 lines and 6 lines and expected to have a volta (a change in direction of some kind) after the 8th line. It might be the first 8 lines pose a question that the last 6 lines answer or perhaps the last 6 lines pose a counter argument to the first 8 lines.

3. CLIMB THE KNOWLEDGE TREE 6. Synthesise – Compose your own point of view on this poem- create a statement to express it. 5. Evaluate – Evaluate the poet’s use of punctuation and sentence structure. What effect is created? 4. Analyse – Analyse the poet’s use of extended metaphor. Perform close language analysis of the language used. 3. Apply – Examine and annotate the verbs used in the poem- what impression do they give? 2. Understand– Explain the poets attitude about love and the effect on the reader. • Knowledge – • Identify the rhyme scheme of the poem.

4. To what extent is Elizabeth Barrett Browning successful at expressing her feelings of love in Sonnet 29? She uses imagery to convey her feelings of love… She is successful because the reader… However her light hearted approach to the extended metaphor of a tree may suggest… To answer this question successfully you will need to: Consider the poet’s feelings. How she conveys her feelings using language. Critically evaluate whether she is successful.

5. What is the poem about? The narrator tells her lover how much she thinks about him when they’re not together. She’s worried that her thoughts will obscure the reality of what he’s actually like. However she assures him that her thoughts do not compare to the reality of him. She wants him to be a strong presence in her life and to be with him rather than just thinking about him.

6. Feelings and Attitudes The narrator longs with to be with her lover instead of just thinking about him. She thinks about her lover all the time when they’re apart. Her language is forceful- she uses imperatives which almost order him to be with her.

7. Answer the questions to give a personal response. • Why do you think the narrator compares her lover to a tree? • Do you get the impression that her lover is returned? • What do you think the narrator means by “new air” in line 13?

8. Key Themes Fulfilment, nature, distance, longing… Consider how relationships are presented as fulfilling in ‘Singh Song!’ and ‘Climbing My Grandfather.’ Natural imagery is also used to show distance in a relationship in ‘Letters From Yorkshire’ and ‘Winter Swans.’

9. ANALYSING YOUR POEM Voice Tone Ballad Sonnet Free verse Dramatic monologue Symbolism Alliteration Assonance Juxtaposition Oxymoron S.M.I.L.E Simile Extended Metaphor Personification Rhyming Couplet Enjambment Emotive Language Repetition

10. Natural imagery shows how her thoughts focus on him like a vine wraps around a tree – her thoughts are constantly growing and developing. The narrator addresses her lover directly, which makes the poem seem more personal Exclamation mark emphasises the pleasure she takes in thinking about him I think of thee!—my thoughts do twine and bud About thee, as wild vines, about a tree, Put out broad leaves, and soon there 's nought to see Except the straggling green which hides the wood. Yet, O my palm-tree, be it understood I will not have my thoughts instead of thee Who art dearer, better! Rather, instantly Suggests her love for him is extensive. Her thoughts threaten to stop her from seeing him as he really is. Suggests the vines are inferior to the tree – her thoughts about her lover are inferior to the man himself. Metaphor – the narrator is the “wild vines” and her lover is the “tree”. This is emphasised by the internal rhyme of “thee” and “tree”. Caesura creates a turning point in the poem

11. Rhymes him with himself – this shows her obsession with him Sibilant sounds reflect the rustling of the tree’s leaves. Imperatives and alliteration emphasise how much she wants him to act. Possibly an erotic reference. Renew thy presence; as a strong tree should, Rustle thy boughs and set thy trunk all bare, And let these bands of greenery which insphere thee Drop heavily down,—burst, shattered, everywhere! Because, in this deep joy to see and hear thee And breathe within thy shadow a new air, I do not think of thee—I am too near thee. The weight of her thoughts emphasises how much she thinks about him. Use of three different words to describe the way his presence replaces her thoughts emphasises her excitement. Caesura contributes to the dramatic effect. Plosive sound marks the conclusion of her argument – she wants him to understand how much she enjoys being with him. She doesn’t have to think about him when she’s with him – he’s better than anything she’s capapble of imagining. Reversal of the first line highlights the difference between thinking about him and being with him.

12. Poem dictionary Twine – wind around something Straggling – not orderly Insphere – completely enclose

13. Reflection: SMILE Paragraph • This suggests… • This infers… The poet was trying to convey • The use of the word… implies that… • The writer wanted to suggest… • The connotations of this word are… Word Bank • Point: Topic sentence with an adjective. • Evidence: Quotation- try to embed it in the sentence. • Explain: Select a keyword- why does it stand out? What is the effect on the reader? • Language Analysis- Analyse what the word suggests & how it links back to the adjective.