128 How oft when thou, my music, music play'st

Question 1

Summarise:

1 quatrain

2 quatrain

3 quatrain

Couplet

Answer 1

1. Often when you sensually play enchanting music
2. I envy the instrument you touch, because it gets to touch you, while I am too embarrassed to
3. The anthropomorphic ‘jacks’ are very forward, and they show they’re affection by changing their place (nature?) to be with you/ in accordance with your will. So that inanimate objects are happier than I am!
4. Since the jacks can be more than pleased with just your fingers, let them have those to kiss, and give me your lips.

Question 2

Analyse 1 quatrain of sonnet 128

Answer 2

• Addressed to woman
• Finds her music playing delightful
• Still pretty innocent at this point - although ‘blessed wood’ is euphemistic
• ‘My music’ - echoes ‘muse’, but additional ‘ic’ suggests twisted. Fits overall anti-petrarchan feel

Question 3

Analyse 2 quatrain of sonnet 128

Answer 3

• Euphemistic conceit becomes clear - sexual metaphor, personified piano
• Subverting Petrarchan idea of unattainable love - instead of spiritual unattainability, physical desire
• Sensual touches

Question 4

Analyse quatrain 3 of sonnet 128

Answer 4

• ‘Change their state/ and situation’ - rejection of transcendence, poet wants to go from spiritual to physical - enjambment mimetic, falls downward
• Sensual alliterative ‘l’

Question 5

Analyse couplet of sonnet 128

Answer 5

• ‘Since saucy jacks so happy are in this,

Give them thy fingers, me thy lips to kiss.’

* Sibilance and final protracted 'ss' - sensual, seductive * Ends with demand for physical desire - anti-Petrarcan, as instead of impossibility of attainment, definite possibility of desire. Ends with physical action.