Sonnet 29- Barrett Browning 1 May 2023

Mini Starter

Consider the idea of

symbolism and note

down your ideas about

the tree…

Must:Understand and be able to thoughtfully explain the meaning and main themes of the poem.(AO1)

Should:Explore and consider multiple interpretations of the poem. (AO1/AO2)

Could:Analyse the language, form and structure of the poem. (AO2)

The branches?

What could the leaves symbolise?

The trunk?The buds?

The roots?

Sonnet StructureSonnets 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.

Work in pairs to decide if there is a change of any kind around line 8/9 in this sonnet.

1. Knowledge –Identify the rhyme

scheme of the poem.

2. Understand – Explain the poets attitude about love and the effect on the reader.

3. Apply – Examine and annotate the verbs used in the poem- what impression do they give?

4. Analyse –Analyse the poet’s use of extended metaphor. Perform close language analysis of the language used.

5. Evaluate –Evaluate the poet’s use of punctuation and sentence structure. What effect is created?

6. Synthesise –Compose your own point of view on this poem- create a statement to express it.

CLIMB THE KNOWLEDGE TREE

To what extent is Elizabeth Barrett Browning successful at expressing her feelings of love in Sonnet 29?

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.

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…

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.

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.

Answer the questions to give a personal response.

1. Why do you think the narrator compares her lover to a tree?

2. Do you get the impression that her lover is returned?

3. What do you think the narrator means by “new air” in line 13?

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.’

S.M.I.L.E

Symbolism

AlliterationAssonance

Simile Extended Metaphor

Personification

Ballad Sonnet

Free verseDramatic monologue

Juxtaposition

Oxymoron

Emotive LanguageRepetition

Rhyming Couplet

Enjambment

Voice Tone

ANALYSING YOUR POEM

I think of thee!—my thoughts do twine and budAbout thee, as wild vines, about a tree,Put out broad leaves, and soon there 's nought to seeExcept the straggling green which hides the wood.Yet, O my palm-tree, be it understoodI will not have my thoughts instead of theeWho art dearer, better! Rather, instantly

The narrator addresses her lover directly, which makes the poem seem more personal

Exclamation mark emphasises the pleasure she takes in thinking about him

Natural imagery shows how her thoughts focus on him like a vine wraps around a tree – her thoughts are constantly growing and developing.

Suggests her love for him is extensive.

Suggests the vines are inferior to the tree – her thoughts about her lover are inferior to the man himself.

Her thoughts threaten to stop her from seeing him as he really is.

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

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 theeDrop heavily down,—burst, shattered, everywhere!Because, in this deep joy to see and hear theeAnd breathe within thy shadow a new air,I do not think of thee—I am too near thee.

Imperatives and alliteration emphasise how much she wants him to act.

Sibilant sounds reflect the rustling of the tree’s leaves.

Possibly an erotic reference.

The weight of her thoughts emphasises how much she thinks about him.

Plosive sound marks the conclusion of her argument – she wants him to understand how much she enjoys being with him.

Use of three different words to describe the way his presence replaces her thoughts emphasises her excitement. Caesura contributes to the dramatic effect.

Rhymes him with himself – this shows her obsession 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.

Poem dictionary

Twine – wind around somethingStraggling – not orderly Insphere – completely enclose

Reflection: SMILE Paragraph• 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.