Sonnet - to Science
Essay Assignment
INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY STUDIES
Sonnet- To Science
Number of words: 1288
The poem “Sonnet – To Science” written by Edgar Allen Poe was published by Hatch & Dunning in the poetry collection “Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems” 1829. Edgar Allan Poe, a renowned poet during the American romanticism, chose science as the central topic and how it is affecting poetry. Upon the first reading, the reader is directly confronted with the central topic, “Science!” With further reading it clarifies, that the poet is blaming science for something this becomes clear, through the various questions in the poem beginning in the third verse and continuing till the end. For what and how he is blaming science will be explored in more detail further in this essay.
As the title says the poem is a sonnet and is following the standard rhyming scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet, ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, but in this case B and C also rhyme. The sonnet consists of fourteen verses and consists of four stanzas. The metrical structure of the poem is an iambic pentameter, also very common in Shakespearean sonnets. The poet asks why science has chosen poetry, “the poet’s heart”, as his prey. Science is something a poet cannot “love”, because it is not letting him “seek for the treasure in the jeweled skies”, with its “dull realities”. But the poet is not intimidated and stays “soared with an undaunted wing”, but at the end has to accept that poetry has been mostly suppressed by science.
The first stanza begins with a personification, “Science!”. Poe speaks directly to science; through this stylistic device it becomes very clear that Poe is angry or blaming science for something. He continues the personification through the whole sonnet referring to science as “thou”. Poe also uses a personification to mention poetry in his sonnet. This he does by referring to poetry as “he”. By using personifications the
INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY STUDIES
Sonnet- To Science
Number of words: 1288
The poem “Sonnet – To Science” written by Edgar Allen Poe was published by Hatch & Dunning in the poetry collection “Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems” 1829. Edgar Allan Poe, a renowned poet during the American romanticism, chose science as the central topic and how it is affecting poetry. Upon the first reading, the reader is directly confronted with the central topic, “Science!” With further reading it clarifies, that the poet is blaming science for something this becomes clear, through the various questions in the poem beginning in the third verse and continuing till the end. For what and how he is blaming science will be explored in more detail further in this essay.
As the title says the poem is a sonnet and is following the standard rhyming scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet, ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, but in this case B and C also rhyme. The sonnet consists of fourteen verses and consists of four stanzas. The metrical structure of the poem is an iambic pentameter, also very common in Shakespearean sonnets. The poet asks why science has chosen poetry, “the poet’s heart”, as his prey. Science is something a poet cannot “love”, because it is not letting him “seek for the treasure in the jeweled skies”, with its “dull realities”. But the poet is not intimidated and stays “soared with an undaunted wing”, but at the end has to accept that poetry has been mostly suppressed by science.
The first stanza begins with a personification, “Science!”. Poe speaks directly to science; through this stylistic device it becomes very clear that Poe is angry or blaming science for something. He continues the personification through the whole sonnet referring to science as “thou”. Poe also uses a personification to mention poetry in his sonnet. This he does by referring to poetry as “he”. By using personifications the