A Critical Analysis of The ‘sonnet Reversed’

Handsome, charming and highly intellectual, Rupert Brooke was one of the first soldier- poets of First World War. His poems are cemented to the ideals and fears of generation at the time of cultural transitions. His literary pieces are extremely influenced of social, cultural and political matters. The rural imagery and the classical tradition of the society are compared to the bustling city life. His numerous poems and sonnets were written based on the themes; patriotic, death, love, social and cultural conflicts (Rogers, 1997). Steven (2009) supported that his poetry is mostly connected to the death with love which brings the loss of love rather than the achievement. Jamieson (2018) affirmed features of sonnet that it is fourteen line poems, written in iambic pentameter and a rhyming schemes. In the period of time, different types of sonnets evolved with variations in rhyme scheme and metrical pattern. Rupert Brooke’s ‘Sonnet Reversed’ was written in 1911 before the war broke out and it has a peculiar form. This essay would critically examine new forms of sonnet and explores based on themes, social contexts and uses of literary devices.

In this poem, it is observed that the poet breaks the traditional rules of forming the sonnets. There is no uniformity of forming quatrains and the couplet. Abrams (2007) confirmed that the sonnets are thematically analyzed into two sections. The first section presents the issues and tribulations, and the second part shows the solution of the issues and problems. Later, it is being followed by the couplet which gives complete thoughts and answers to the issues. In this sonnet, Brooke strangely begins his sonnet with a couplet which is traditionally used at the end, to provoke thoughts and emotions. It is followed by the adventures and contended parts of the sonnet. He breaks the traditional structure of the sonnet by not abiding certain rules. Brooke tends to focus on only the positive aspects of the couple’s life, leaving the undesirable aspects of life. The sonnet also denies Petrarchan aspects of life where the society is involved in courtly love and everything needs to follow the conventions.

Brooke’s first couplet shows the new turn of idea as an introduction of a sonnet. His sonnet starts with wonderful remarks where the couples are introduced having strong relationships. It starts with the celebration of love, goodness and morality as exemplified, “Hand trembling towards hand: the amazing lights/of heart and eye. They stood on supreme heights” (Brook, 1911). This conventional sonnet starts with a heroic couplet symbolically compares to the ‘‘amazing lights’’ as the light is the source of goodness, reality and purity. The couplet begins with two lovers who have embarked on their honeymoon and are on ‘supreme heights’ and imaging of superiority and powerful. The word ‘trembling’ in the first line suggests an extreme emotional and a love to be powerfully expressed, and it appears as if nothing can disturb the union. On the other hand it reflects power and the strength of middle class dominating the third class. Helmer (2017) supported in his case study that there were class and racial division happened in the 19th century. The third class people were treated badly by the middle class since they were unskilled labourers. The British underclass people had to work tedious jobs and there were no other alternative to protect them.

The sonnet describes about the couples descending into the city life. It also expresses the living styles of the couples and its changes. The term ‘delirious’ honeymoon indicates that the excited expression of love begins and it ends very quickly as life is too short for them. This overexcitement and goodness becomes infuriated to excited dreams which become an illusion. Similarly, the couple’s lives seem to be ‘strange’ and remain a distant memory of love, where the couples are ready to settle into their routine lifestyle. The couple is experiencing an extreme emotional and the stereotypical idea of love which is expressed in the sonnet as Cardwell (1996) defined stereotype as “a fixed, over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people.” The word ‘Cityward daily’cleary states that they feel bossy and standard living in the changed world. The couple also feels proud with the changes of living styles from rural to city.

The poet argues against the power of money which is associated with the rich people. The couples are depicted ironically as a powerful, wealthy and the standard that everybody wishes to attain. The couples are ‘quite content’ about the work and social pleasures. They became rich and powerful where nobody can do the competition. The word ‘still’ is repeatedly used in the sonnet in order to take the readers into the city life. Barzun (1961) rightly stated the love of modern age is the love of exotic, an exaggeration, and a scientific. Brooke’s realistic view of love is suggested the most exciting and optimistic as it depicts from the wealth of couple’s life cited as,“Their money was in Can.Pacs. B.Debentures,/And in Antofagastas. Still he went” (Brooke, 1911).The couples are used metaphorically as a middle class family associated with wealth. Their ‘money’ refers as wealth and still they generate and saved it in different locations.

Brooke also indicates the minor radical feminism in his sonnet. Mitchell (2000) explained, “Radical feminists feel that there is a male-based authority and power structure and that it is responsible for oppression and inequality, and that as long as the system and its values are in place, society will not be able to be reformed in any significant way.” Upon the understanding of radical feminism, it is fact that there is the indication of radical feminism in the sonnet. The male couple is embedded as an authority and power, and the female couple lives at home ‘abiding’ certain traditional norms and beliefs. In this sonnet, male couple is conscious of his work at city ward and female stays at home.

The poet is concerned about the world of modernity and social revolution. With the development of arts and fashions, the people try to be sophisticated and get rid of the past traditions and values. Here, the couples of middle class try to work and have social pleasures in the city, forgetting traditional values and beliefs. Lemaitre (1947) stated that before the 20th century, there was the risen of modernity and social revolution with many rising art forms and technologies contradicting past tradition and values. People began to explore other cultures, traditions and living styles. The society became more outspoken, and revealed many changes to the tradition and culture. This is because of the modernity and development of the nations.

Brooke proclaims in the sonnet that death is a universal truth of life. He was preoccupied with death that he had seen during the war. The poet tries to say that death would occur to anybody else. The couple had an intense love and soaring wealth, but the couple had left the world the remaining children and the wealth back. Their harmony is no longer seen and their lives are not unfulfilled. Shmoop Editorial Team (2008) rephrases Brooke’s sonnet ‘Dead’ as “There shall be, / in that rich earth a richer dust concealed” (Brooke, 1914). The speaker conveys that death has no disparity among the rich and the poor people. The poet also claims that death is a universal truth, nothing can stop it and readers are informed to be good.

The different literary devices and forms are used and taken care of compared to other sonnet. The first two lines addressing heightened romance is a heroic couplet. Baburaj (2018) proclaimed that “iambic pentameter couplets are called heroic couplets because they are used in heroic poems and play.” Brooke peculiarly begins his sonnet with a couplet which is different from other sonneteers where as Fuller (2016) identified that “Italian and English sonnet follows the tradition rules of forming the couplet. The couplet is written at the end of the sonnet.” In this sonnet, it is composed of a couplet and three quatrains. He uses the rhyming patterns of AA BCBC DEDE FGFG. His poetic meter is created with ten beats per line, so called iambic pentameter and it is so rhythmic.

Thus, this essay appraised that there was the cultural transition and social revolution. The traditional cultures and values are eroded because of the existence of the modernity. This was revealed from the couple’s life in the city. He used imagery of rural life and its values which is contradictory to the bustling city life. Although, he uses some of the features of sonnet but its form was different. He uses different rhyming schemes and composition of quatrains. So, this essay examined the new forms of sonnet and explored typically through relating the contextual themes and the literary devices used in the sonnet. Finally, this analyzed essay is purely of my assumptions and thinking. There will be other possibilities of interpretation and exploration and it is left up to the future critical readers.