Difference between revisions of "1026: Compare and Contrast"

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(Added a paragraph about 'Thee' after reading blog comments)
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| title    = Compare and Contrast
 
| title    = Compare and Contrast
 
| image    = compare_and_contrast.png
 
| image    = compare_and_contrast.png
| imagesize =
 
 
| titletext = Frankly, I see no difference between thee and a summer's day. Only Ron Paul offers a TRUE alternative!
 
| titletext = Frankly, I see no difference between thee and a summer's day. Only Ron Paul offers a TRUE alternative!
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
This comic is a reference to the {{w|sonnet}} by {{w|William Shakespeare}}, which as far as I can tell, is called "{{w|Sonnet 18}}" in which the first line is: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?". And that is what [[Randall]] is attempting to do here in his own way, comparing who I assume is his special lady friend to a "Summer's Day". The first line is a reference to the sonnet itself, which reads: "Thou art more lovely and more temperate". Shakespeare woos women with sonnets and Randall with charts. This certainly seems to be a love letter (love comic? love chart?) to one specific person (Megan?) because not too many people have been arrested for releasing snakes in the library. (At least I hope so.)
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A reference to the most well-known {{w|sonnet}} in the English-speaking world: {{w|William Shakespeare|William Shakespeare's}} "{{w|Sonnet 18}}", the first line of which is: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?". In this comic [[Randall]] sets about this in a typically goal-oriented chart, as opposed to the rather more romantic poetry of the Bard.
  
The last line in a sexual reference, on the "thee" side, not on the "summer's day" side.
+
The first line is a reference to the sonnet itself, which reads: "Thou art more lovely and more temperate".
 +
The last line is a sexual reference, on the "thee" side, not on the "summer's day" side.
  
In Shakespeare's day, English had informal pronouns and formal pronouns, thee and thou (informal), and you (formal). This is similar to what is still used today in Spanish (and other languages) with usted being formal, and tú being informal. {{w|English personal pronouns#Full list of personal pronouns|Wikipedia}} has a nice chart for all of English's personal pronouns, current and archaic.
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In Shakespeare's day, English had informal pronouns and formal pronouns, thou/thee (informal), and ye/you (formal). This is similar to what is still used today in many European languages. {{w|English personal pronouns#Full list of personal pronouns|Wikipedia}} has a nice chart for all of English's personal pronouns, current and archaic.
  
Sonnet 18 is not about a woman but rather addressed to a young man (sonnets 1-126 are), the rest of them is addressed to a ‘dark lady’.
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For both the chart and the original sonnet, whether or not the work is autobiographical is unknown.  Also unknown is the identity of the person whom each work refers to.  It is believed that Sonnet 18 is addressed to a {{w|Shakespeare's Sonnets#Fair Youth|young man}}.
  
And of course, the title text is a reference to {{w|Ron Paul}}, {{w|Republican Party (United States)|Republican}} candidate for {{w|President of the United States|President}} who is currently in the {{w|Republican Party presidential primaries, 2012|Republican Primary}} against a few other challengers for the nomination. Ron Paul is frequently represented on the internet using similar language to the image text. Paul is seen as an alternative because he is a strict {{w|Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian}} and believes the government should be as small as possible and stay out of people's lives. People who support Ron Paul believe him to be the only true alternative to the other Republican candidates currently in the race.
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And of course, the title text is a reference to {{w|Ron Paul}}, a former {{w|Republican Party (United States)|Republican}} candidate for {{w|President of the United States|President}} who was on top in the {{w|Republican Party presidential primaries, 2012|Republican Primary}} against a few other challengers for the nomination. Ron Paul was frequently represented on the internet using similar language to the image text. Paul has been seen as an alternative because he is a strict {{w|Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian}} and believes the government should be as small as possible and stay out of people's lives.
  
No politics in the comments please, let's stick to the comic, please! Thank you.
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==Transcript==
 +
:[A checklist comparing thee to a summer's day:
 +
:Fair, Temperate: Thee & A Summer's Day
 +
:Hot, Sticky: Thee & A Summer's Day
 +
:Short: Thee
 +
:Harbinger of Hurricane Season: A Summer's Day
 +
:Required for a Good Beach Party: Thee & A Summer's Day
 +
:Major Cause of Heat Stroke in the Elderly: A Summer's Day
 +
:Linked to Higher Rates of Juvenile Delinquency: Thee & A Summer's Day
 +
:Sometimes Too Stifling: Thee & A Summer's Day
 +
:Arrested for Releasing Snakes in Library: Thee
 +
:Difficult to Focus on Work While I'm In: Thee & A Summer's Day]
  
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with charts]]
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[[Category:Comics featuring Ron Paul]]
 +
[[Category:Charts]]
 +
[[Category:Sex]]
 +
[[Category:Politics]]
 +
[[Category:Romance]]

Revision as of 06:06, 1 June 2015

Compare and Contrast
Frankly, I see no difference between thee and a summer's day. Only Ron Paul offers a TRUE alternative!
Title text: Frankly, I see no difference between thee and a summer's day. Only Ron Paul offers a TRUE alternative!

Explanation

A reference to the most well-known sonnet in the English-speaking world: William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 18", the first line of which is: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?". In this comic Randall sets about this in a typically goal-oriented chart, as opposed to the rather more romantic poetry of the Bard.

The first line is a reference to the sonnet itself, which reads: "Thou art more lovely and more temperate". The last line is a sexual reference, on the "thee" side, not on the "summer's day" side.

In Shakespeare's day, English had informal pronouns and formal pronouns, thou/thee (informal), and ye/you (formal). This is similar to what is still used today in many European languages. Wikipedia has a nice chart for all of English's personal pronouns, current and archaic.

For both the chart and the original sonnet, whether or not the work is autobiographical is unknown. Also unknown is the identity of the person whom each work refers to. It is believed that Sonnet 18 is addressed to a young man.

And of course, the title text is a reference to Ron Paul, a former Republican candidate for President who was on top in the Republican Primary against a few other challengers for the nomination. Ron Paul was frequently represented on the internet using similar language to the image text. Paul has been seen as an alternative because he is a strict Libertarian and believes the government should be as small as possible and stay out of people's lives.

Transcript

[A checklist comparing thee to a summer's day:
Fair, Temperate: Thee & A Summer's Day
Hot, Sticky: Thee & A Summer's Day
Short: Thee
Harbinger of Hurricane Season: A Summer's Day
Required for a Good Beach Party: Thee & A Summer's Day
Major Cause of Heat Stroke in the Elderly: A Summer's Day
Linked to Higher Rates of Juvenile Delinquency: Thee & A Summer's Day
Sometimes Too Stifling: Thee & A Summer's Day
Arrested for Releasing Snakes in Library: Thee
Difficult to Focus on Work While I'm In: Thee & A Summer's Day]


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Discussion

Commenter J. Curwen posted a link to a modern paraphrasing of Sonnet 18. I think it would be appropriate to repost it here. http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/18detail.html lcarsos (talk) 17:58, 16 August 2012 (UTC)

Shakespeare woos Randall with charts? Holy ambiguous dependent, Batman! - Frankie (talk) 12:47, 26 January 2013 (UTC)

I prefer to believe that thou art in fact harbinger of hurricane season, and a major cause of heatstroke in the elderly ;) PotatoGod (talk) 05:26, 22 December 2017 (UTC)

Are we sure that Sonnet 18 is *the* most famous sonnet? Is opening the explanation in this way a subtle reference to xkcd 1368 ("one of the most recognisable arches in St. Louis")? 172.70.90.92 04:47, 12 January 2024 (UTC)