Think you’ve got your head wrapped around Sonnet 29? Put your knowledge to
the test. Good luck — the Stickman is counting on you!
Q. Why's the speaker so mad at God at the beginning of the sonnet?
he thinks God's been ignoring him
his wife left him and he blames God
his friend died
the speaker is an atheist
Q. To what does the phrase "deaf heav'n" (3) refer?
the speaker's priest
God
the speaker's best friend
Shakespeare's business partner
Q. The speaker talks about his love for "thee" as if it is what?
an excuse to skip church
a religious experience
ruining his life
better than poetry
Q. Why does the speaker feel like a bird singing "hymns at heaven's gate"(12) at the end of the sonnet?
God answered his prayers
He remembered that another human being loves him
He lost his voice
He's been taking singing lessons
Q. Why doesn't the speaker ever say God's name in this sonnet?
he's angry and feels isolated from God
he's not allowed to
this sonnet has absolutely nothing to do with God
he uses the word "sir" instead