Opening Pandora’s Box
The authorship question was bound to come up sooner or later. While I was hoping for later, I am the one who opened his big mouth and suggested we tackle the sonnets for Valentine’s Day.
I’m having less fun on this section than anticipated, mostly because I recognize that I’ve opened Pandora’s Box — which, it turns out, is not nearly as compelling (though at some times equally problematic) as Victoria’s Secret. I know, I know… just wait until I get to the later sonnets. There’s a lot of racy stuff going on.
But that’s just it, the very trouble I’m attempting to address here. The sonnets sound all fancy-schmancy romantic until you actually, you know, try and read them without a handrail and a map to the stars.
Therefore I would be remiss not to begin mentioning the numerous online resources available for the sonnets. I do not wish to waste your time with my unlearned commentaries when these superior sources are out there! (Not that this qualm has stopped me in the past.)
There’s so much going on here beneath the surface, whether I acknowledge it or not. Sure, I can insist on tiptoeing through the landmines. But I feel I’m doing myself and you a disservice by just breezing through without at least saying something.
I’m letting you know now that I’ll be setting aside the rest of February to try and make headway into these things. I promise I’ll mention any outside sources that I access along the way. I feel that it’s important to continue a policy of full disclosure.
So yes, for your information, I have begun reading the sonnets. But I am also — truth be told — a bit bogged down by the whole project, which I didn’t expect. Not here. Not on the sonnets!
I’m kinda sorta wishing I had pushed on to the next play, which is Corialanus. You just never can tell about these things, can you?
A Year of Shakespeare 
Leave a Reply