I Didn't Write This | Ep. 8: Dark Sonnet by Neil Gaiman | feat. Whitney Milam

[@modestieispurete]

Uhm, okay. Wow. Never read the sonnet before, so the powerful combination of hearing it for the first time and seeing your adaptation was enough to bring me to tears. Also, that background music was absolutely incredible.

[@yulinisworking]

Lindsay Covington The source material really is fantastic. Hearing a poem you love the first time is always something special, though I think hearing it a second time is its own kind of magic.

[@caitlin5107]

This is stunning. Whitney is stunning. Mary Kates voice is stunning. Dark Sonnet is stunning. I CAN'T HANDLE HOW BEAUTIFUL THIS IS!

[@whitneyleemilam]

"Empires rose and fell for love" is def my favorite line, especially as read by MK. Well read MK. Well shot Yulin (& Alyssa). Well well WELL done all around :)

[@carolineblueskies]

Yulin, I don't know if you read your KZbin comments anymore but I was rewatching this series and noticed that Zack shot the first few and I was like aw how sweet! Hearing you say in this video that you don't think you've ever been in love before and knowing now that you two ended up happily married is just... time and love and how things work out are pretty neat.

[@Anhdara13]

As always, wonderfully filmed. And I really need to read more Neil Gaiman. This actually really resonated very much with me, it was stunning.

[@yulinisworking]

Anhdara13 I really do too. I've mostly only seen his Doctor Who episodes, shamefully.

[@Anhdara13]

Yulin Kuang truthfully, I've only mostly seen that as well. I have read one of his novels thought. It was good, but I haven't been able to get my hands on the sequel. :(

[@L0Lindsay]

Wow so this came out just as I started reading and discovering Neil Gaiman's work. Up until quite recently I've pretty much just seen his Doctor Who episodes and the film adaptation of his book Stardust, both of which I loved to bits, so I decided to give the rest of his work a whack. This poem is very interesting to me because I am fascinated by the whole construct of love and how that works and how it can make people feel things and do things that they wouldn't normally do and feel. I usually like to focus on the fluffier, more happier aspects of love, but this poem really forces you to think about the bad side that everyone usually ignores. I really like the line that goes "I think 'I love you' means don't leave me." Because that is essentially what you are saying. When you marry someone you are promising to stay with them forever, for as long as you both live. You are basically promising not to leave and having that presented in the way that it is in this poem really shone a new light on it, in my eyes.

[@aleciasolley7519]

As soon as I started this I recognised your style immediately. The spinning camera shot around your actor is one of my favourites!! Stunning location and perfect poem. I relate to it also strongly! Love your work it's so beautiful!! And MK narration was so good to!! So glad to see another video on this channel!! xx

[@Katiedora122]

I love Neil Gaiman! He's been one of my favorites for the last couple years.

[@yulinisworking]

Katiedora122 I really keep meaning to read more of his writing, I'm afraid my greatest exposure has been to his Doctor Who episodes.

[@Katiedora122]

That was how I first got into his work, too, but then I read Stardust and was really hooked. Neverwhere is my favorite, but Ocean at the End of the Lane is really short but packs a punch if you're interested in that.

[@rachelmerrill5406]

Katiedora122 Yulin Kuang Ocean at the End of the Lane = awesome!!

[@carolineblueskies]

thank you Yulin. I feel the poem hit me so hard for the same reason you said. Never been in love, and to always hear about it - songs, books, poems, history, movies, EVERYTHING seems to revolve so much around it, and I always feel like a far off observer.

[@yulinisworking]

kb1025 It's interesting that different people connect with different parts of the poem. I find it to be a more passive observational poem, while Whitney finds it to be an epic and sweeping declaration about love. I think there's weight to both interpretations!

[@rachelmerrill5406]

I love this! I like Neil Gaiman, but I've never run across this sonnet before. Thanks for introducing me to it! I was so happy to see another I Didn't Write This in my feed today, I've missed them :)

[@nicetsukki]

Oh my gosh, the shots in this are just so so beautiful! Please never stop making these

[@john-alanpascoe5848]

Thank you for another beautiful adaptation and for introducing me to this beautiful poem. I find the contradiction in the narrator's thoughts quite interesting. In the final line she suggests that love is merely a fear of loneliness, yet at the same time she recognises it as an amazingly powerful (albeit destructive) force, something that makes us 'more than blood and bone and more than biological demands'. Does the narrator really think all that is merely the fear of being alone, or is she only attempting to articulate her own lack of understanding; haven't figured that one out yet.

[@yulinisworking]

John-Alan Pascoe I think her own lack of understanding... at least for me, I found that last line "I think it means, 'Don't leave me here alone'" to be particularly powerful because there's some uncertainty left there, yet it feels so solemn and final. It's also a feeling that even a person who hasn't been in love yet can relate to.

[@john-alanpascoe5848]

Yulin Kuang You've swayed me towards the lack of understanding interpretation :). Maybe there's even a hint of desperation in there somewhere: 'I don't know what love is, but maybe it can make this loneliness I feel go away'? Of maybe I'm just projecting too much, I dunno. Definitely a very powerful line indeed.

[@AverieMc]

I'D REALLY REALLY LOVE TO SEE YOUR VISUAL INTERPRETATION OF SYLVIA PLATH'S "MAD GIRL'S LOVE SONG". It's always been a favorite of mine. I relate to it on a very deep level and I'd really enjoy watching someone else's take on it. P.S. Beautiful visualization of a very moving poem. I'm a big fan of Neil Gaiman and I think you have done his poem justice. The location was stunning and the vastness fit well with the poem's theme. Great job!

[@victoriaa.6844]

I really like how you talk about literature after these videos. It's almost my favorite thing about I Didn't Write This.

[@AppleTree1717]

This is so beautiful! Your love and understanding of poetry and literature is so vibrant in these clips - I can't help myself, it really has touched my heart.

[@carolineblueskies]

every once in awhile i have to come back and watch this

[@elusivepeaceofmind]

This was beautiful! I've never actually heard the poem before, but MK delivered it wonderfully -- I liked the subtlety of the whole video because it really gave the words a chance to shine.

[@asldkfjasdfghjkl]

This is so inspiring, I love it! And thank you for introducing me to a new Neil Gaiman poem..now I can't stop listening. Also your camera angles are too perfect, it's making me jealous :)

[@yulinisworking]

Josie P. I work with some very talented cinematographers!

[@mellopages3560]

Two things. This video was beautiful, and Neil Gaiman's writing is also beautiful.

[@cozymonica]

Ah, so much love for this series. Fantastic interpretation! And thanks for bringing this poem into my life. :)

[@yulinisworking]

shemightbemonica :D That's the goal of the series, bringing poetry into people's lives.

[@MaggieMacKenzie]

I would love to see you do an excerpt from the beginning of everything!

[@PelicanSinger]

Wow! I love that. Thanks for introducing it to me! What a punch that last line leaves. Yulin, would you consider doing "It is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free" by William Wordsworth? The imagery in that one is just so vivid and I would love to see how you would bring it to life!

[@juststeveschannel]

So many thoughts. I can't respond in the space of a comment thread; I will surely use this in class and see where students take the discussion, and (if I EVER get my computer squared away) hopefully make a video response. Since there's little more a work of art can do than make us think, feel, and generate considered discussion, this is another wonderfully successful production.

[@yulinisworking]

juststeveschannel Aww, let me know what they think! I found it interesting that Whitney and I had somewhat different interpretations of the poem... I found it to be a bit more passive and observational, while she connected more with the poem's sweeping and epic declarations. I think both interpretations are valid... I've found that while there are sometimes a limited number of ways to interpret a poem, the reasons people interpret them that way/connect with them are often deeply personal and numerous. It'll be interesting to see which lines your students connect with the most (or not at all - I'm sure there are some who completely disagree with the poem's premise)!

[@juststeveschannel]

It will take a while before I can get to it in class. I only have so much video time to use in class and we spend August & September on the Lizzie Bennet Diaries--because they really are the BEST tool I have for opening eyes to how you can take an old, stuffy English "Literature" subject and look at it with fresh eyes. After that, we get a little more open.

[@littlemissmadscientist816]

This is fitting the sonnet so well ... Just beautiful. You're amazingly talented.

[@imaginationnerdofficial]

This series... I LOVE IT! Interpreting wonderful pieces of literature, what could be better? This is such a wonderful idea, Yulin! Well done! - Kara

[@yulinisworking]

imaginationnerd I have fun doing it! Glad you enjoyed!

[@saramortz]

So beautiful! Great job Yulin!

[@yulinisworking]

Sara Mortensen Thank you Sara!!

[@elisabethlewerenz4747]

Wow! The atmosphere you created in this video is amazing and reflects the text soo well, you actually moved me to tears. Keep up the good work, you gained a subscriber :)

[@wolfsoda]

Gorgeous images in this video. Thank you for making and sharing :)

[@orangeblossembossil7544]

Wow this is so amazing, it even inspires me to become a filmmaker and manifest my ideas even though it takes lots of work. I love how it was adapted, I think you are very talented!

[@orangeblossembossil7544]

But for now all I have is a gopro so I'll try to make that work.

[@Ethmae]

I think my issue with literary criticism comes down to when people declare, 'the poem means X' when what they really mean is 'the poem means X to me'. The various views on the poem seem to come down to which parts grabbed one's attention. For Whitney, this seems to be the quatrain of lines 3-6 or the tercet of lines 10-12 (the destructive parts of love), while Yulin says the opening lines are what grabbed her (have I been in love?). If the the closing lines were what spoke to you, the poem might be about the loneliness of those left out of love (I need love) while for someone for whom lines 7-9 grabbed them, the poem could speak to the intangibility and mystery of love (what is love? (baby don't hurt me (no more))). Me, I'll enjoy it as the beautifully constructed set of words that it is, a package that speaks to reader in a language that somehow transcends mere words, further enhanced by the fantastic work on this video. Not everything needs to be deconstructed to be enjoyed!

[@chloec.6024]

Just binge watching all your videos :)

[@ThePinjaProductions]

It's incredible how much I love this.

[@xingmei818]

I really love these videos, and I hope you continue on introducing new things to read. :D It's so beautiful, and thank you for your hard work!

[@monkeymoncrief]

I love this! You should do The Lady of Shallot by Alfred Lord Tennyson. It's one of my favorite poems in the world. It's about unrequited love and living life through a mirror until she sees something too beautiful, and goes to the window. It's just gorgeous and it talks about King Arthur and Lancelot and Camelot, which I love.

[@seaandstardust]

This is such an interesting and beautiful poem and a great adaption. I've never heard of it before but I'm definitely going to check it out! Also, I love this series!

[@meljac9649]

Ahhh so well put together. I really related to this poem as well but I do hope everyone finds love in some way even if not romantic even if it's the love of friends and family. So beautifully filmed too!!!

[@yulinisworking]

Melissa Jacquez True true, there are many kinds of love.

[@TheValerieMeachum]

Love, love, love these. I've had inklings of doing something similar, but only actually made one so far...

[@alexd.9621]

Wow, that was just wonderful! thank you for sharing such a touching poem with us!

[@CamOnMars]

This is so beautiful and powerful

[@michaelasuorsa]

So beautiful!!

[@Aiironic]

*-* gorgeous, as always.

[@yulinisworking]

Aiironic

[@suemoro]

You are so talented!

[@scottsmartky]

Next time, MKW reads the phone book for 2 hours, and everyone enjoys all 2 hours of it.

[@MsCaseyMargaret]

I AM OBSESSED

[@avmbookworm]

Just found all your wonderful work, and I am in love. If you are still taking poetry recs, I would recommend "Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep" by Mary Elizabeth Frye. Best of luck, and I look forward to future videos.

[@socks6592]

annddddd we're back to my comfort poetry.

[@stephupurlyf]

These are like moving photo shoots. Similar to the way you can go into Vogue Mag and look through the pages of a photo shoot, while reading an interview. Except I feel like I've actually learned something about myself as well, through the chosen piece of prose or poetry.

[@CatBeyondTV]

this is awesome! love everything about this series!

[@kaitlynk1231]

Love this!

[@teamjacob38]

would love if you made an audio file available, would love to have these on my phone :)

[@mariealexandraaa]

loved this

[@izzyc.6721]

!! where did you shoot? the locations are so beautiful!

[@eileenb.213]

I would love to see an adaptation of "Having a Coke with You" by Frank O'Hara or "Recuerdo" by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Or both!

[@katkatshall]

That was beautiful.

[@yulinisworking]

Kathryn Hall Back atcha.

[@patriciasayuri6145]

0:36 holy shit that is breathtaking

[@Joyousnessify]

YES.

[@Raunaqamarnani]

Does anyone know when this sonnet was written and why did Neil Gaiman write it?

[@janesheedy8566]

Is Mary Kate the voice over??

[@emkaysmiles]

Jane Sheedy yep :)

[@janesheedy8566]

Mary Kate Wiles i love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@m00nsheep]

Amazing.

[@ljmastertroll]

Gaimon and Salton is a perfect match.

[@yulinisworking]

***** We were going for a kind of desert fairytale thing, Gaiman seemed a perfect fit for the setting!

[@mollymcintoshable]

Have you ever read any Sappho? I think her style would really suit your directing style! Here are some examples if you want :) x www.sappho.com/poetry/sappho2.html

[@ImaginaryLibrarian]

Okay, wow.

[@Eruantinell]

Jane Erye

[@ThoughtsFromClosets]

I don't like how much identify with the narrator of this poem.

[@staciar9928]

okay, can we be best friends? please? because I think this could be a thing

[@iD4rkAngel]

This was powerful and beautiful and haunting! Suggestion for an adaptation: "One Art" BY ELIZABETH BISHOP www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/176996