"Sonnet 29”: The Transcendent Power of Rich Love
Faculty Mentor
Chris Valeo
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
May 2025
End Date
May 2025
Location
PUB 323
Primary Discipline of Presentation
English
Abstract
Shakespeare's "Sonnet 29" highlights the journey of the human condition from lowly self-deprecation to high self-sentiments when affected by love. This paper analyzes the poignant fourteen lines penned by William Shakespeare and draws parallels between their sentiment and modern research on love's positive impact on preexisting low self-esteem and self-worth. "Sonnet 29" develops a story of the natural stages from self-deprecation due to low self-esteem into heightened self-worth due to the potent integration of love. Modern, scientific research by Harris and Ulrich, Răşcanu, and Zhang and Hawk, lends credence to the assessment of love's powerful and positive impact on a person's self-worth and self-esteem that this essay affirms that Shakespeare's words are attesting to. From the narrator's coveting of others' lives, to their deep-seated jealousy of things they do not possess that others do, to the realization of the love the narrator possesses, Shakespeare lays a blueprint for his audience to follow these natural transitions of human nature. Ultimately, with Shakespeare being supported by modern science, "Sonnet 29" reflects the naturality of love's positive and uplifting impact on the human condition when steeped in low self-worth and self-esteem.
Recommended Citation
Lewan, Emily M., ""Sonnet 29”: The Transcendent Power of Rich Love" (2025). 2025 Symposium. 12.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2025/op_2025/o4_2025/12
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
"Sonnet 29”: The Transcendent Power of Rich Love
PUB 323
Shakespeare's "Sonnet 29" highlights the journey of the human condition from lowly self-deprecation to high self-sentiments when affected by love. This paper analyzes the poignant fourteen lines penned by William Shakespeare and draws parallels between their sentiment and modern research on love's positive impact on preexisting low self-esteem and self-worth. "Sonnet 29" develops a story of the natural stages from self-deprecation due to low self-esteem into heightened self-worth due to the potent integration of love. Modern, scientific research by Harris and Ulrich, Răşcanu, and Zhang and Hawk, lends credence to the assessment of love's powerful and positive impact on a person's self-worth and self-esteem that this essay affirms that Shakespeare's words are attesting to. From the narrator's coveting of others' lives, to their deep-seated jealousy of things they do not possess that others do, to the realization of the love the narrator possesses, Shakespeare lays a blueprint for his audience to follow these natural transitions of human nature. Ultimately, with Shakespeare being supported by modern science, "Sonnet 29" reflects the naturality of love's positive and uplifting impact on the human condition when steeped in low self-worth and self-esteem.
