I almost missed Sonnet Day.
May 20, the anniversary of the first publication of Shakespeare’s Sonnets by Thomas Thorpe in 1609. Over four centuries later, these 154 little poems still manage to capture the full range of human emotion—love, jealousy, beauty, time, mortality—and yet somehow, I nearly let the day slip by without notice.
We Should Celebrate Sonnet Day More
It’s easy to celebrate Sonnet Day — just recite a sonnet. Over the years I’ve seen a number of projects (including Sir Patrick Stewart, during the pandemic) recite all the sonnets. I’m way too much the introvert to ever pull off something like that.
The closest I ever came was at my wedding, where I “recited” Sonnet 17:
Who will believe my verse in time to come
If it were filled with your most high deserts?
Though yet, heaven knows, it is but as a tomb
4Which hides your life and shows not half your parts.
If I could write the beauty of your eyes
And in fresh numbers number all your graces,
The age to come would say “This poet lies;
8Such heavenly touches ne’er touched earthly faces.”
So should my papers, yellowed with their age,
Be scorned, like old men of less truth than tongue,
And your true rights be termed a poet’s rage
12And stretchèd meter of an antique song.
But were some child of yours alive that time,
You should live twice—in it and in my rhyme.
And by “recite” in this case I don’t mean “Stood up with a microphone in front of everybody,” I mean, “Whispered it in her ear during our first dance.” See earlier note about life as an introvert.
It’s funny, though — that was 25 years ago. Now, in the context of just talking about Shakespeare, I’ll knock out a sonnet at the drop of a hat. I don’t have that many of them memorized that I can do the whole thing, but I’m usually good for at least an 18 or a 29. I think that raising my kids on Shakespeare, literally singing Sonnet 18 to them for years, probably had something to do with that.
Singing it? Oh my, yes. David Gilmour’s rendition used to be my ringtone.
Truthfully, I hadn’t listened to that version in years. I’m glad I took the time to write this post and find it, I’ve got it playing in the background now and it’s quite the trip down memory lane.
Everybody knows 18, though, so when it comes time to get down and discuss favorites I head for 29. I do love a good sonnet set to music, so for something really different from the above enjoy Rufus Wainwright’s version:
Love love love it.
To wrap this post up, however, I think we’ll leave the last word to the living legend herself, Dame Judi Dench. On a recent episode of the Graham Norton Show, she pulled off an impromptu Sonnet 29 that still stops me in my tracks when I hear it. Seriously, you could dissect it in a classroom. The pause on “thee”. The way she says “lark”. Seriously, chills. Every time.
Happy Sonnet Day, everybody. Shakespeare makes life better.