Sonnet VIII

This man is apparently sad while listening to music, and at first we don't know why. The fact that he is not married annoys him, and the beautiful harmonies in music remind him of this, as he is also reminded that he is still single. Each string being played in a music, representing a father, mother a child, play together in harmony, and are happy. He is not married, he is alone, and he feels worthless in this very fact.

Claudio & Hero

Why does anyone fall in love with ... anyone? I suppose it has something to do with a psychological attraction to the attributes present in another individual. As for Claudio, he most likely fell for Hero because of her good looks, her tendency to keep to herself and be quiet, and of course, the cherry on top, her father's wealth.

Masquerade

A Masquerade is an easy place for individuals to meet new people, or even converse with people they would not have spoken with otherwise, had they known their identity. Men returning from war could most likely meet young ladies they'd like to court and "make babies with" with these masks acting like a shield, giving them more confidence in the matter. There a freedom present in this kind of party where anyone masked could do as they please, even lie and deceive.

Much ado About Not(h)ing

Here we go, making mountains out of mole hills. That's what I superficially get from the title. When diving in deeper, though, Noting most likely has to do with something having to do with attention to detail, probably blowing something small and detailed unnecessarily out of proportion - most likely having to do with miscommunication.

Hmm.. Beatrice

On the surface, Beatrice probably does not want to hear that she is loved by a man because of the frequency these words are said by men, and how annoying that is for her. She'd rather not hear it at all - or rather...hear a dog barking. I bet she's bluffing ...

Collins vs. Shakespeare

Collins' "Litany", when looked at broadly, is pretty much a modern version of Shakespeare's Sonnet 130. As you begin to read, one thinks that "Hey, this is another one of those nice little imagery poems where the guy gets a little weird while talking about someone he loves." But, alas! It is not. For awhile while reading the sonnet, the reader may tend to believe that this woman is rather mediocre, with bad breath. But similarly  to Collins, Shakespeare goes on to say that these are not things she should be compared to, because she is one in her own.

Litany

To be honest...all I heard in the beginning was "Bueller...Bueller..."
Then he began his poem. It doesn't even sound like poem. It seems like a comical monologue of one beloved speaking to the other. He uses great imagery, then he says "However." He doesn't smile, he just keeps a straight face, making it a bit more humorous. It's a dry humor, which can oftentimes be the best kind of humor. It's real somehow and I found it to be more entertaining than the other poems we previously heard. I don't know why - he was just sitting there reading, but his delivery was perfect for the piece in which he was reading.