Analyzing Millay's Sonnet 7

The video tutorial explores how Edna St. Vincent Millay's Sonnet Seven both adheres to and deviates from traditional sonnet structure. It discusses the characteristics of Shakespearean sonnets, including their rhyme scheme and thematic focus on love. The lesson highlights how Millay's sonnet subverts these conventions by addressing themes of failed love and shifting the epiphany to an unexpected line. The tutorial provides steps to analyze how a text's structure contributes to its meaning, emphasizing the importance of understanding both adherence to and deviation from traditional forms.

What is the main focus of the lesson on Sonnet 7?

• The historical context of sonnets

• How Millay's Sonnet 7 follows and breaks conventions

• The biography of Edna Saint Vincent Millay

• The influence of Shakespeare on modern poetry

Which of the following is a characteristic of a Shakespearean sonnet?

• It is always about nature

• It follows an ABABCDCDEFEFGG rhyme scheme

• It is written in free verse

• It has 12 lines

What is the typical structure of a Shakespearean sonnet?

• Four quatrains

• One octave and a sestet

• Two quatrains and a sestet

• Three quatrains and a couplet

How does Sonnet 7 adhere to traditional sonnet structure?

• It has a non-traditional rhyme scheme

• It uses free verse

• It lacks a problem-solution format

• It is written in iambic pentameter

What is the theme of Sonnet 7?

• The passage of time

• Nature's beauty

• Failed and incomplete love

• True and pure love

Where does the tone shift, or epiphany, occur in Sonnet 7?

• At the beginning of line 13

• At the end of the poem

• At the beginning of line 12

• In the middle of the poem

How does the couplet in Sonnet 7 differ from traditional Shakespearean sonnets?

• It is written in prose

• It is longer than usual

• It lacks a specific idea

• It presents a contradictory idea

Why might Millay have chosen to deviate from traditional sonnet conventions?

• To confuse the reader

• To mirror the speaker's unconventional behavior

• To adhere strictly to poetic norms

• To make the poem longer

What does Millay's adherence to technical sonnet requirements demonstrate?

• Her focus on nature

• Her disregard for poetic tradition

• Her ability to write sonnets as well as men

• Her lack of understanding of sonnet form

What does Millay reveal by turning traditional love poetry on its head?

• That love is always perfect

• That traditional portrayals of love are often inaccurate

• That Shakespearean sonnets are outdated

• That poetry should not follow any rules