The
major contemporary literary criticism which enables the reader to view the text
as an entity with no particular contextual analysis but rather in far open and
varied contexts is that proposed by Jacques Derrida. The Deconstructive
criticism can hardly be introduced as a novel branch because of its link as
being a continuing chapter of the ‘close reading of the text’. This blog post, which is designed in the
format of a revision task assigned by Prof. Dr.Dilip Barad Sir, explores the
interpretation/s by applying deconstructive criticism on William Shakespeare’s Sonnet
18, one of the best among the 154 sonnets, “Shall I Compare thee to a Summer’s Day?”
Jonathan Culler interestingly puts the very idea of deconstruction as 'which undertakes a double reading of the text, describing the ways in which lines of argument in the texts it is analyzing, call their premises into question, and using the system of concepts within which a text works to produce constructs, such as difference and supplement, which challenge the consistency of that system.'
Before reading this blog post, don't forget to visit and read the following two posts on the same theory.
The close reading of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18
provides us with the glimpse of power struggle and implied threats but in the first
reading of course, as mentioned above the words of Jonathan Culler, 'double reading of the text' is required in order to understand the underlying meaning of the poem, which obviously, can never be assumed as the final interpretation of the text. So, let us see a video of the professor explaining hoe a deconstruction reading of the text is done and how every interpretation invites different meanings and contexts with it.
Interesting isn't it? A bit diversion from the prime focus of the blog, I take a moment to express my experience of online learning in this era of crises. As the schools and universities have been in uncertainty, the option to continue learning is 'Online Learning'.
So some educational apps and platforms make it easy for a teacher to conduct a class on a regular basis. Moreover, it is equally difficult for a teacher to hold the interest of students while teaching online. So, this challenging task was undertaken by Prof. Dr Dilip Barad Sir who very innovatively brought the 'teaching through lightboard -Online' concept and engaged himself for the welfare of his students.
Sir introduced his students to the platform called TED-Ed by uploading this curiously engaging video. Additionally, the board work which creates a neon-like effect make learners like me more interested and focused on the content. The use of light board instead of black or whiteboard and reflection of teacher clearly visible urges the learner to learn effectively.
The platform is also very easy to access and learn. Click on this link - 'Deconstructive Reading of Sonnet 18' which will direct you to the lesson which Sir has created using the Ted-Ed lesson creator. The platform provides an opportunity to watch the video lesson then immediately reflecting our learning by attempting a short quiz and the additional reading which is provided by teacher under the 'Dig Deeper' part enhances the learner's understanding of the concept. The column 'Discuss' provides the chance to discuss the concept with peers as the classroom discussion.
Overview-
Coming back to the Deconstructive reading of the sonnet, the primary reading provides the reader with some basic ideas like from the first two lines it becomes clear that a kind of extended metaphor is used to describe a beloved-
"And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;"
These lines make it clear enough for us to understand that the sonnet is dedicated to a beloved of the poet who compares her charm and herself with that of Summer's day! Furthermore, with the alliterative lines, the poet makes it clear for the readers that he characterizes the beauty of the beloved with each and every aspect of the summer, even the ugliness of summer (or rather a rarity to beauty).
"And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;"
But as the sonnet progresses further, the last lines all of a sudden shifts the attention of the reader to the sonnet or writing of the poet and not that beloved to whom, we initially thought the sonnet is dedicated. Have a look at what the last lines have to offer-
"When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
So long as men can breathe or
eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this
gives life to thee."
Summarising it, the sonnet informs that first the poet is asking whether he should compare the beloved or friend to a summer day. Then he makes use of some striking metaphors that explain his attempt of comparing. The reader can analyze that by comparing the beloved with a summer's day, the poet along with the charms of a bright sunny day, also takes into account the scorching heat of the sun. It seems that the poet realizes that beauty is going to fade someday so he packs up his thoughts and writes that his writing will be eternal if the beloved's beauty fails to be. And when people will read the sonnet, they will enjoy imagining the beauty. So, the sonnet ends with-
"So long lives this, and this gives life to thee."
Now, by applying the deconstructive criticism, let's construct the sonnet once again with a different perspective-
Previous Critical Readings-
In her work titled "Poststructuralism - A Very Short Introduction", Catherine Belsey attempted to read this sonnet with a deconstructive criticism.
Catherine argue that in the sonnet, the beloved is always privileged when compared with summer's day. As the beloved's beauty is going to fade away, so the lines attributed by the poet will enlighten the beauty of the beloved in reader's mind.
She further clarifies:
"If love and summer resemble one another after all, in contrast to writing, which alone has immortal powers, what are we to make of the excess heat and cold of the summer day? Are they also properties the season shares with human love? Does the Sonnet imply that love too is very rarely, in practice, just right? And the rough winds that shake the darling buds? Are they, perhaps, sexy? Or at least tempestuous, the element of passion that makes love itself anything but ‘temperate’?"
An attempt-
In one sense, deconstruction means 'searching out' the meanings, the idea of the text. As Derrida is assumed by most critics as an 'intellectual terrorist', he attacks the major text, the very centre and dismantling it, he reconstructs the positions of the peripheral. This is Derrida's philosophy. He was a part of the sceptical tradition and what he argues is the indispensable correlative of the meaning- the arbitrary nature of language. In this sonnet, the first and foremost centre is the beloved for whom the initial impressions suggest the sonnet is dedicated to. Moving further in scepticism to another idea from the centre is the nature which is described, then further the lines...the writing of the poet, and finally the poet seems to be exhibiting his existence for the creative endeavour.
The first and foremost rule of deconstruction is that it discards any particular conclusion and is open for interpretations as well as argues the very rational structure from inside.
In this sonnet, by applying deconstructivism, the centre keeps on changing:
Secondly, it reverses the hierarchal oppositions, as in the cause and effect; the effect becomes the cause.
This sonnet firstly seems to be centred around the beloved but when we reverse the hierarchy, it seems to have been a sonnet singing self-glory and showing the beloved in a very lower position.
Still, the sonnet is open for more and more interpretations...
References-
Barry, Peter. Beginning theory: An introduction to literary and cultural theory. Manchester university press, 2017.
Belsey, Catherine. Poststructuralism: A very short introduction. OUP Oxford, 2002.
Derrida, Jacques. Of grammatology. JHU Press, 2016.
Derrida, J. "Structure, sign and play in the discourse of human sciences, w: MACKSEY R." DONATO E.(red.) The structuralist controversy, Baltimore (1973): 256-271.
Glendinning, Simon. Derrida: A very short introduction. Vol. 278. Oxford University Press, 2011.
McQuillan, Martin, ed. Deconstruction: A reader. Taylor & Francis, 2001.
Post, Jonathan FS. Shakespeare's sonnets and poems: a very short introduction. Oxford University Press, 2017.
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