Day 7: Billy vs. Stephen
I once had an argument with a friend about which author's work would be more intellectual/enjoyable/fulfilling if one lived in the desert with nothing to do but read -- William Shakespeare's or Stephen Hawking's. Although the dispute was ludicrous at best, I decided to take a definitive dose of each this week and see what I came up with (not that I'm the most objective judge).
After my daily tribute to the sun (Suriya Namaskar), I read Shakespeare's Sonnet 7, which happens to be centered around a sun metaphor! This sonnet was my favorite so far, and is worth a quick read (http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/7.html). It definitely provided a stark contrast with the stormy weather we've been having lately.
Next, I followed a scrumptious Indian lunch with Shakespeare's Othello as dessert.
I started by reading the preface and skimming a short section called "Reading Shakespeare's Language," which confirmed my belief that "those who have studied Latin . . . have little difficulty understanding the language of Shakespeare's poetic drama." I have always felt that Shakespeare's structure resembles that of Latin prose, and that his diction mirrors Latin verb roots much more than English of today. Thus, as my Latin has become stronger over the years, so has my understanding and enjoyment of Shakespeare's plays.
Too impatient to read the introduction, I skipped straight to Act I, reading Scenes 1 and 2 before going for a relatively random but ROCKIN' run in the rain. I returned and finished up the Act. Shakespeare's wordplay simply makes me smile. Though I have not yet encountered many puns, my favorite line of today was definitely "you'll have your nephews neigh to you, you'll have coursers for cousins, and jennets for germans" (I.1.126-127).
When Papa came home, we sat down to finish 3 Idiots. It remains my favorite movie and I enjoyed it even more the second time -- I strongly, strongly recommend it to anyone with an interest in humor, education, and happiness.
After my daily tribute to the sun (Suriya Namaskar), I read Shakespeare's Sonnet 7, which happens to be centered around a sun metaphor! This sonnet was my favorite so far, and is worth a quick read (http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/7.html). It definitely provided a stark contrast with the stormy weather we've been having lately.
I started by reading the preface and skimming a short section called "Reading Shakespeare's Language," which confirmed my belief that "those who have studied Latin . . . have little difficulty understanding the language of Shakespeare's poetic drama." I have always felt that Shakespeare's structure resembles that of Latin prose, and that his diction mirrors Latin verb roots much more than English of today. Thus, as my Latin has become stronger over the years, so has my understanding and enjoyment of Shakespeare's plays.Too impatient to read the introduction, I skipped straight to Act I, reading Scenes 1 and 2 before going for a relatively random but ROCKIN' run in the rain. I returned and finished up the Act. Shakespeare's wordplay simply makes me smile. Though I have not yet encountered many puns, my favorite line of today was definitely "you'll have your nephews neigh to you, you'll have coursers for cousins, and jennets for germans" (I.1.126-127).
When Papa came home, we sat down to finish 3 Idiots. It remains my favorite movie and I enjoyed it even more the second time -- I strongly, strongly recommend it to anyone with an interest in humor, education, and happiness.
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