The Sonnet Machine

ماكينة السُّونِيتَّات

Abstract

This is a complete translation of an article by Timothy Hampton (2023).  The focus of the article is on how a sonnet works and the central example thereof is Shakespeare's most famous sonnet "Shall I compare thee?" A sonnet, Hampton argues, contains "an emotional drama of illusion and deception, crisis and resolution, crafted to make us think and feel." The article traces how this happens from the octave, to the sestet and finally to the couplet, where a resolution is happily reached. Hampton finds a good mental, spiritual and emotional exercise in reading a sonnet – "My daily sonnet became a form of training, like jogging, or meditation. It focused my mind and challenged my emotions. I’ve never enjoyed poetry more. I recommend it as a daily exercise."