Pathways of Desire

The Appearance of an Amorous 'I' in Shakespeare's Procreation Sonnets

Abstract

This paper looks at Shakespeare’s procreation sonnets in an attempt to retrace the pathways that lead to the first appearance of the Sonnets’ lyrical “I” in Sonnet 10. In doing so, it focuses on the narrative evolution of subjectivity in Sonnets 1–9, observing the postures and poetic devices the lyrical “I” adopts to make room for self-reference. Mapping the conventions and contradictions in the span of which the speaking subject attempts to find the voice with which to address his other, the paper highlights the unconventionality of the sonnets, arguing that they can be read, even today, as writerly texts: passionate utterances restored to and questioning the status of amorous poetry.