The Poetic Forms of Shakespeare’s Three Single-Sentenced Sonnets

[[abstract]]With a New Formalist critical approach, this paper attempts to explore the poetic forms of the three single-sentenced sonnets (12, 15 and 29) by William Shakespeare, focusing on their poetic diction, artistic skills of figurative language, and unique syntactical and structural patterns. In examining the poetic language or verbal characteristics of the three sonnets, the paper will emphasize the importance of the poetic forms that are sidestepped by other critical interpretations. The poetic forms are important because they not only display unique artistic skills and create distinctive poetic effects but also possess signifying power, pointing to main ideas of the poems. Thus the paper argues that the poetic forms of the three sonnets are not only important organic parts of the poems but also help form and develop their complicated meanings. The paper first investigates Sonnets 12 and 15 by closely comparing some similar poetic diction in both poems, as it illustrates not only “the best words in their best order,” but is also loaded with crucial signifiers of the important themes, such as to preserve youth and beauty through procreation and eternal verse. Then, the paper will carefully compare and contrast Sonnets 12, 15 and 29, focusing on their syntactical and structural patterns, as all the three sonnets contain interesting similarities and striking differences in terms of grammar, syntax, structure and meanings. Moreover out of all Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets, these three are commonly accepted by modern editors as the only ones written in just one single sentence. Through analyzing the unique poetic forms of the three sonnets, we can clearly see how Shakespeare skillfully unifies the artistic poetic forms with important themes.[[sponsorship]]Wuhan Institute for Humanities;Shanghai Normal University and Purdue University[[notice]]補正完