Sonnet 29 -'I think of thee!' Flashcards
Form
Sonnet form is traditionally used for love poetry. This sonnet is loosely written in the Petrarchan form, with eight lines (an octave) followed by six lines (a sestet) The octave usually provides a problem and the sestet a solution. In this sonnet, however, the solution is presented in the middle of line 7. Having it come early and in the middle of a line reflects the narrator’s impatience to be with her lover.
Structure
The transition of the poem from the problem to the solution reflects the difference between the narrator thinking about her lover and being with him. This is shown through the reversal of the first and last lines - in the first line, the narrator says ‘I think of thee’ but by the end of the poem she imagines that when she is with her lover she’ll no longer think of him because she’ll be ‘too near’ him.
Language about nature
The writer uses an extended metaphor throughout the poem. The narrator’s lover is a tree and her thoughts are ‘wild vines’ which cover him. This shows how her thoughts are constantly growing and unrestrained. The image of the tree casting off the vines reflects how she wants her lover to be a strong permanent part of her life.
Excited Language
The author uses exclamation marks to show how the narrator feels joy in thinking about her lover and feels excitement at the thought of being with him.. Dynamic verbs ‘burst, shattered..’, emphasise how much she wants to be with him.
Tone
The poem is about longing and desire. It creates a feeling of intensity that shows how she cannot stop thinking about her lover when they are apart. She takes pleasure in her feelings of love for him and greater joy with him being a physical presence in her life.
Which poem should it be compared with?
You could compare this to ‘Love’s Philosophy’ and think about the ways that the poets use natural imagery to express desire and longing.
