I refuse to print the sonnets in "normal text." The letter e added to the end of a word is there for a reason. The fact that "substantiall" is elongated and "selfe" and "fewell," the same, are extremely important notes from the author to the reader. An educated actor, upon being presented with a part for a Shakespearean play knows to look to the First Folio. That is where you will find the text print naked like this. No Penguin bullshit or Folgers coffee whatever. First Folio only, and of course the Quarto for sonnets and poems. Otherwise you miss out on endless secrets that the author has left for his actor. Each letter is important.
Self substantial fuel. Selfe substantiall fewell. These are the most important words in the poem. How do I know? Shakespeare tells me so. He has elongated them. They are meant to be relished in the mouth like chocolate or first coffee in the morning, fine wine, the lips of a lover, sweat, sex: everything. The alliteration in self and substantial are exciting enough. Rub them together with fuel and combine. Perfection.
Rose. Rose. Italicized and Capitalized. You lose it completely when you read the poem alone in some gaudy transposed version. You don't have the poem anymore. You have mush.
I refuse. You can read the words. You know what they are, and then some. You know what they are and you know they are important.
Ahem. That being said.
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