Man, you think I'm a wise guy, but look what Howard Moss has done to "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day" on page 449.

2. Compare some of Moss's lines to the corresponding lines in Shakespeare's sonnet. Why is Even in May, the weather can be gray less interesting than the original? In the lines on the sun, what has Moss's modification deliberately left out? Why is Shakespeare's seeing death as a braggart memorable? Why aren't you greatly impressed by Moss's last two lines?

3. Can you explain Shakespeare's play on the word untrimmed (line 8)? Evidently the word can mean "divested of trimmings," but what other suggestions do you find in it?

4. How would you answer someone who argued, "Maybe Moss's language isn't as good as Shakespeare's, but the meaning is still there. What's wrong with putting Shakespeare into up-to-date words that can be understood by everybody?"