Studying the Theme for a Research Paper on Shakespearean Sonnets

Wednesday, January 20, 2010 in Research Paper Writing Guide by EssayCapital | No Comments |

During your English literature education you will learn how to interpret drama and poetry in a creative way. But there will be no bigger challenge than learning to understand and interpret William Shakespeare’s works. His style of writing is so unique and the depth of his words unfathomable to ordinary humans that researchers are still working on what could have been the poet wanted to convey. This aspect about his works also makes it one of the favorite topics for all types of academic assignments. Shakespeare’s sonnets, which are one of the most beautiful collections of poetry, can be an extremely interesting topic to discuss in a research paper. But to be able to write an impressive research paper on Shakespearean sonnets, first you need to understand the theme well enough.

Out of the 154 poems, the first set which is known as the procreation sonnets implicates the poet’s admiration for a young man of immense beauty. These are known as procreation sonnets because, through his poetic words, he requests the young man to marry and procreate. It is necessary to study each of these poems before you can start preparing your research paper on Shakespearean Sonnets. The poet expresses his regret at the thought of the young man’s beauty ending with him. He wants the young man to have a family to make sure that his beauty lives on through his children, even after his time.

The sonnets which follow talk about the poet’s love for the young man. Considering that the poems were autobiographical, it can be concluded that the poet loved this young man beyond the kind of love one has for a friend. The poet talks about his love for this young man as ‘sinful’, leaving us to believe that the poet, indeed, had an affair with him.

In the sonnets which were written after those about the young man, we are introduced to a young woman, whom the poet is in love with. This woman is not always presented in a positive reflection. It is very clear from the lines of the sonnets that the poet resents the woman’s control over his feelings. He is ashamed of the fact that she has such power over him. Some sonnets also indicate that the young man who is mentioned in his earlier sonnets was also enchanted by the woman whom the poet refers to as the ‘dark seductress’. The theme of uncontrollable lust towards the young man and the woman is also encompassed in these sonnets.

While writing a research paper on Shakespearean sonnets, you will have to study all aspects of these poems in great detail. But there is no doubt that you will enjoy even the effort involved in it. The technicalities and the theme are equally important when it comes to poetry assignments. Proper use of words and flawless writing skills are also vital when it comes to writing English research papers.

If you are facing any kind of trouble with your research paper on Shakespearean sonnets, our skilled academic writers shall be happy to assist you with your assignment.


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Preparing for a term paper on Sonnets

Monday, January 18, 2010 in Term Paper: How To by EssayCapital | No Comments |

Sonnets are a form of poetry which is famous for its use by the most famous playwright of all times, William Shakespeare. Many other poets have employed this beautiful poetic structure but none so much as Shakespeare. While learning English as a language you might only learn it as a part of poetry. But if you are studying English literature as the main subject you will get to do a more detailed study of this form of poetry. You will also do various writing assignments like research papers, essays and term papers on sonnets.

Over time, sonnets evolved into a poetic structure with many branches. According to the slight alterations made by poets who used the style frequently, sonnets got classified further as Italian sonnets, Petrarchan sonnets, English sonnets or Shakespearean sonnets and so on. Even though there were slight differences, the most basic aspects still remain the same in all of them.

While preparing to write a term paper on sonnets or any one of them, there are certain things which you should know about it. The most important feature of a sonnet is its meter which is the ‘iambic pentameter’. Almost all the sonnets have been written under this meter even though there are exceptions, as always. These exceptions always remained exceptions, without getting widely used or formally accepted. Hence iambic pentameter still remains the accepted meter of sonnets. You will find that almost all the traditional sonnets have been written using this meter.

Sonnets are poems of fourteen lines. These fourteen lines are divided into three stanzas of four lines each and one stanza of two lines. They follow a strict rhyme scheme. The Shakespearean sonnets follow a rhyme scheme of abab, cdcd, efef, gg. The last two lines are called the couplets. The other popular rhyme schemes are that of abba, abba, cdcdcd and abab, bcbc, cdcd, ee. While preparing for a term paper on sonnets, it is necessary for you to understand these important aspects of this type of poetry.

Shakespeare is one of the poets who have written the maximum number of sonnets. Besides his collection of sonnets which consists of 154 poems, he also used sonnets to write his plays.

There are many famous sonnets which you will be learning during your literature education. As you learn them, you will also come across certain specific aspects of certain types of sonnets. Your term paper on sonnets need not necessarily be about the technical side of the style. It could also be on any one of the sonnets which is a part of your syllabus. But even if the term paper is focused on the poem, still you are obliged to make a mention of the technical aspects as well in your assignment. This is due to the fact that the style of a poem is one of the main factors which classifies it.

While writing a term paper on sonnets or any one of them, remember that all traditional styles have specific meters and rhyme schemes. Without a thorough understanding of these technical aspects, you will not be able to perform well in your poetry assignments.


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English Literature Research Paper Topics

Sunday, December 6, 2009 in Research Paper Writing Guide by EssayCapital | No Comments |

English literature is one of the most interesting subjects to study, especially, if you have a flair for the language. There are a lot of topics that can be explored and enjoyed as you learn them. Even the academic writing assignments given on the subject are equally interesting.

Students have their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to education. You should take a note of them and consider that too while choosing topics for assignments. Even though all English literature topics are equally interesting, some are more difficult than the others. If you have been allowed to choose the topic for your research paper in English literature, there are a few which you could consider.

Each country has its own native collection of literature. It differs in styles, themes and methods. English, being a language used by people of so many nationalities, has a section for its literature in many countries across the globe. You will find that the subject is divided into sections like British Literature, American Literature, Indian English literature, African – American Literature, European – English Literature etc. You may focus your research paper on one of these topics or those related to it.

Each country’s literature has further been divided according to the period to which it belonged. This section is also equally vast with Elizabethan era, Victorian era, Jacobean literature, renaissance literature, post-modern literature and many more included in the list. You will find that the works which belong to each of these eras have been compared and contrasted over and over again to find out the positive and negative aspects of each. It would prove an interesting topic for your research paper to write on any one of the eras or compare two or more of them.

This has been again separated into sections according to its genre. There is poetry, prose, drama, science fiction, short stories, novels, folklores, biographies, autobiographies etc. You can concentrate your project on one of the topics chosen from this section.

You will also find that each of these sub sections have further sub-divisions. For example, poetry can be further classified as sonnets, ballads, elegies, odes, epics, lyrics, dramatic monologues and so on. Each of these has its own specific rules and aspects. Hence all of these would provide you with a variety of topics to write on.

Another option of topic in English literature is to be author specific. Choose one celebrated author and pick a topic related to him or her. You may either write your research paper on which genre of literature that author specialized in or yet, if it is an author who has contributed to various genres, then you may compare his works to figure out which genre brought out the best in him. You could also choose a biographic topic on any of the famous authors.

Choosing a topic for a research paper or term paper in English literature is an easy task. You just have to make sure that you have judged your strengths well, understood the guidelines and remembered the deadline of the particular writing assignment, while choosing the topic.


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