Notes on The Sonnets

Luke Kennard

• Publisher: Penned In The Margins
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781908058812
• eBook ISBN: 9781913850029
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Poetry
• Index: Literature

Winner of the Forward Prize for Best Collection 2021
Longlisted for the Rathbones folio prize
A Poetry Book society Recommendation

Luke Kennard recasts Shakespeare's 154 sonnets as a series of anarchic prose poems set in the same joyless house party.

A physicist explains dark matter in the kitchen. A crying man is consoled by a Sigmund Freud action figure. An out-of-hours doctor sells phials of dark red liquid from a briefcase. Someone takes out a guitar.

Wry, insolent and self-eviscerating, Notes on the Sonnets riddles the Bard with the anxieties of the modern age, bringing Kennard's affectionate critique to subjects as various as love, marriage, God, metaphysics and a sad horse.

'Luke Kennard has the uncanny genius of being able to stick a knife in your heart with such originality and verve that you start thinking "aren't knives fascinating... and hearts, my god!" whilst everything slowly goes black.'

- Caroline Bird

INDEX OF FIRST LINES

A woman’s face with Nature’s own hand painted (20)

Accuse me thus: that I have scanted all (117)

Against that time, if ever that time come (49)

Against my love shall be, as I am now (63)

Ah! wherefore with infection should he live (67)

Alack! what poverty my Muse brings forth (103)

Alas! ’tis true I have gone here and there (110)

As fast as thou shalt wane, so fast thou grow’st (11)

As an unperfect actor on the stage (23)

As a decrepit father takes delight (37)

Be wise as thou art cruel; do not press (140)

Being your slave, what should I do but tend (57)

Beshrew that heart that makes my heart to groan (133)

Betwixt mine eye and heart a league is took (47)

But wherefore do not you a mightier way (16)

But be contented: when that fell arrest (74)

But do thy worst to steal thyself away (92)

Canst thou, O cruel! say I love thee not (149)

Cupid laid by his brand and fell asleep (153)

Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws (19)

Farewell! thou art too dear for my possessing (87)

For shame! deny that thou bear’st love to any (10)

From fairest creatures we desire increase (1)

From you have I been absent in the spring (98)

Full many a glorious morning have I seen (33)

How can I then return in happy plight (28)

How can my Muse want subject to invent (38)

How careful was I when I took my way (48)

How heavy do I journey on the way (50)

How sweet and lovely dost thou make the shame (95)

How like a winter hath my absence been (97)

How oft when thou, my music, music play’st (128)

I grant thou wert not married to my Muse (82)

I never saw that you did painting need (83)

If thou survive my well-contented day (32)

If the dull substance of my flesh were thought (44)

If there be nothing new, but that which is (59)

If my dear love were but the child of state (124)

If thy soul check thee that I come so near (136)

In the old age black was not counted fair (127)

In faith, I do not love thee with mine eyes (141)

In loving thee thou know’st I am forsworn (152)

Is it for fear to wet a widow’s eye (9)

Is it thy will thy image should keep open (61)

Let those who are in favour with their stars (25)

Let me confess that we two must be twain (36)

Let not my love be call’d idolatry (105)

Let me not to the marriage of true minds (116)

Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore (60)

Like as, to make our...

Table of contents

• Cover
• NOTES ON THE SONNETS
• ALSO BY LUKE KENNARD
• Title Page
• Copyright
• I
• II
• III
• IV
• V
• VI
• VII
• VIII
• IX
• INDEX OF FIRST LINES