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Difficulty: MediumPoetic Diction and Syntax

Read the following lines from William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 29" (published 1609):

When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,
Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate;

Which of the following best describes the effect of the syntactic structure across the first twelve lines of the poem?

  1. A
    It establishes a repetitive, cyclical sentence pattern that reinforces the speaker's inability to escape a state of self-pity.
  2. B
    It uses personal pronouns to document the poet's own historical grievances regarding his standing in London's theatrical society.
  3. It suspends the main independent clause until the ninth line, mirroring the speaker’s accumulation of grievances before a sudden, transformative thought.Answer
  4. D
    It uses run-on lineation and enjambment to force the reader to rush past punctuation, creating a feeling of chaotic urgency.
  5. E
    It features inversion and alliteration primarily to preserve the strict requirements of iambic pentameter rather than serving a thematic purpose.

Answer

The syntax suspends the main independent clause until the ninth line, mirroring the speaker’s accumulation of grievances before a sudden, transformative thought.
The correct option identifies how the periodic sentence structure of the first eight lines delays the main clause until line 9. The first eight lines consist entirely of subordinate clauses and participial phrases, keeping the reader suspended in the speaker's distress. The grammatical resolution in the ninth line ('Yet in these thoughts... Haply I think on thee') directly corresponds with the speaker's sudden emotional lift, illustrating how syntactic delay reinforces the thematic shift from despair to joy.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the grammatical structure of the first eight lines.
Observe that lines 1–8 consist of a series of subordinate clauses beginning with 'When' and coordinating participial phrases ('Wishing...', 'Desiring...'), but contain no main independent clause.
Understanding the grammar reveals how the poet structures the speaker's train of thought before introducing the main action.
2
Identify the location and effect of the main independent clause.
Locate the main independent clause starting in line 9 with 'Yet in these thoughts... Haply I think on thee, and then my state... sings'.
Pinpointing the transition shows how the grammatical resolution coincides with the speaker's emotional shift from despair to joy.
3
Connect the syntactic delay to the overall meaning and tone of the excerpt.
Determine that the periodic sentence structure structurally mirrors the speaker's accumulation of negative feelings, which is suddenly lifted by the thought of the beloved.
This completes the analysis of how syntax contributes to the meaning of the poem.

Key Concept

Syntactic delay and periodic sentence structure in poetry
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Topics

Poetic Diction and Syntax

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