List, I would like to heartily recommend Michael Shapiro's article, "Sound and Meaning in Shakespeare's Sonnets" which I read in a single sitting today in Washington Square Park. https://www.jstor.org/stable/417566?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
Michael and I and a small number of NYC Peirceans have formed a club (which we call The New Metaphysical Club after Peirce's Harvard group) which meets once a month for lunch and Peirce-related and other discussions. At our most recent meeting Michael gifted the members with copies of this article which Michael, for good reason I think, considers one of his best. After reading it I wrote Michael (Cc'd to our club's members) the following. Dear Michael, As fortune would have it, the New YorkTimes wasn't at my doorstep this morning. As is my wont, when the weather is pleasant I read the Times as I eat my breakfast and drink coffee in Washington Square Park. So, looking for something else to read I picked up your article "Sound and Meaning in Shakespeare's Sonnets" (thanks again for giving us copies) and took it with me. I stayed in the park until I'd finished it. What an extraordinary piece of scholarship! Your analysis (including your statistical analysis) of how sonorants and obstruents effect meaning in the sonnets (and groups of sonnets). especially as regards freedom and constraint, is utterly convincing. That you extended your analysis of sonority vs. obstruency in Shakespeare's sonnets in contrast with those of a number of his contemporaries "chosen at random," not only demonstrates another move in your solidly scientific methodology, but deepens your analysis in crucial ways. Finally, it brings home your conclusion, not only that of "the uniqueness of Shakespeare's poetic technique as regards sonority in the sonnets," but of the poet's "unwavering motivated implementation of sonority" through "a sound pattern that is an icon of the sense." I salute your accomplishment. Needless to say, I would encourage [our club members] to read your article, perhaps most especially in consideration of your methodology. Best, Gary [image: Gary Richmond] *Gary Richmond* *Philosophy and Critical Thinking* *Communication Studies* *LaGuardia College of the City University of New York* *C 745* *718 482-5690 <718%20482-5690>*
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