44. Harry Mathews, "Lateral Disregard" (after an observation by Kenneth Koch)

Invent a context in which the line "Shall I compare thee to a summer's bay" makes poetic sense. That's the assignment that Harry Mathews gives himself. After this fractured Shakespeare line he provides a nicely wrought description of the bay in question. Mathews is underrated as a poet. The recontextualization is successful. I would think it good classroom assignment. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's bray?" "Shall I compare thee to a Summer's flay?" "A summer's neigh?" 9 out of 10.