The Facebook Sonnet

The word “Let’s” (Lines 4, 7, 8, 13), a contraction of “let us,” occurs four times in the poem. In the one quatrain where it does not occur (the third), the word “let” appears three times, in the sense of allowing something to happen once one has taken the initial step. Grammatically, “Let us” is a first-person plural imperative, which is often used to make suggestions that include the speaker. The use of “Let’s” shows that the speaker is appealing for group action. He himself speaks, ironically, as if he is part of that group, encouraging people to take the plunge and sign up for Facebook (or perhaps another social media site like Twitter).

The people he addresses—likely anyone of a certain age with an internet connection—must become part of the new trend, he implies. It is the time to do it; everyone is doing it. The reader can likely picture the speaker’s arm waving them forward like a general urging his men on (the irony of the speaker’s tone notwithstanding). The emphasis is on the collective. Everything depends on everyone participating. It is the group that counts, rather than individuals.