The song Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars is a perfect pop culture reference for sonnet ninety-seven A description of such a one as he would love because the lyrics that Bruno Mars uses to describe the girl he likes are almost like mirror images to one another. Bruno Mars lyrics state
“Oh, her eyes, her eyes
Make the stars look like they’re not shinin’
Her hair, her hair
Falls perfectly without her trying”
Based off these lyrics alone, one can see how Bruno Mars lyrics paint the perfect image in his eyes through his descriptions. If you also pay attention to the tape reel that was used in the music video we can see how Bruno Mars uses it as a creative and manipulation tool to create the girl in the video. The poem is connected to the reference because Wyatt precisely says
A face that should content me wondrous well,
Should not be fair but lovely behold
Her tress should be of crisped gold
Both descriptions provided in the sonnet and song are closely connected to one another because of their use of imagery and choice of words.
Another cultural reference that closely connects to the sonnet is Red by Taylor Ward. While the original song Red performed by Taylor Swift, Taylor Ward covers the song and switches the perspective of the song to address the woman that he’s loving. In other words, Taylor Swift expresses the song in a female point of view while Taylor Ward uses a male point of view. The lyrics in both songs are pretty much the same except with the gender discrepancy. Both artist use this particular song that share the same title to address and characterize the ones they love.
In the song Chains by Nick Jonas term “chains” is used as a metaphorical representation and trope for express Nick’s unrequited love. For instance in the lyrics Nick directly states
“You got me in chains, you got me in chains for your love
But I wouldn’t change, no, I wouldn’t change this love”
Furthermore, the “chains” are not literal chains but are used to carry convey meaning because they only detain and stop him from moving or advancing forward. Similarly, in the sonnet A renouncing of love by Sir Thomas Wyatt there are mentions of a “The bayted hookes shall tangle me no more/And thereon spend thy many brittle dartes”. As we can see these two objects that are mentioned can be used as metaphors as a form of entrapment. It’s clever way of expressing one’s urge trying to break free.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/45991
The poem Will and Testament by Isabella Whitney reminded me of this sonnet. As we covered previously from our analysis and Mapping Whitney project we saw how Isabella Whitney describing the city she is leaving behind. While her poem is quite longer and a more detailed, this sonnet uses it’s fourteen lines to shed light on what the speaker is “renouncing” or abandoning. An interesting to mention about both the poem and sonnet is they are both written in Early Modern English which takes a while to fully understand and analyze. They also both carry that sad somber tone which makes the narrative easier to follow.
http://www.bollymeaning.com/2012/09/na-tum-jaano-na-hum-kaho-naa-pyaar-hai.html (Has the Hindi and English translation of the lyrics)
In the Bollywood blockbuster movie Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai (KNPH), the audience is invited on an emotional love roller-coaster where the theme of “love at first sight” plays a major focal point throughout the movie. The first time I watched this movie I believe I was around six or seven years old not even knowing what love even signified but as time I always found myself watching this movie because it was a guilty pleasure of mine. This song showcases that theme of love at first sight in this song. Raj Chopra (played by Hrithik Roshan) meets this girl Sonia (played by Amisha Patel) once at a night club and instantly falls in love with her. As you can see from the song he hallucinates her when he is driving, and begins to think she is with him singing and rolling in the grass, and in the hot air balloon. It’s almost like he is overly infatuated with her and can not stop thinking about her. It’s also quite funny to see how to weather effects also change depending on the lyrics and mood he’s in. I connected the sonnet to this song because of how close they emulate with one another. We see the weather dynamics and the impacts of love had on both. It’s almost of the one reciprocating the love is unable to respond which is why the speaker and Raj both act delightful and obnoxiously when they think of “love”. (P.S. the movie is not bad just a bit too over the top and corny when you look at it in a critical lens)
In 1981 hit song Waiting For A Girl Like You by Foreigner, the audience is invited on a journey of a man who has finally found the girl he’s in love after waiting for so long. Foreigner lyrics describes the type of impact this girl has on him. He talks about all the pleasures he feel when with her. Foreigner also uses enchanting lyrics to reflect why the girl is the right one him. In other words, “the wait” can be used to signify and imply all the hurt he had to endure before meeting “the girl like you”. The song may sound romantic to the average listener but if you take the time to break down the lyrics one can see this song carries a heart felt message of being struck with love. Wyatt’s sonnet explores the power or “vehemence” love can have individual which is why both the song and sonnet are connected.
very interesting article. thank you