The Shakespearean Sonnet

The Shakespearean Sonnet

Be sure to review all information presented in the slides and complete all of the questions to earn credit for this assignment.

Multiple Choice

How many lines does a sonnet have?

• four

• two

• fourteen

• sixteen

Multiple Choice

Another name for a Shakespearean sonnet is a(n)...

• Italian Sonnet

• English Sonnet

• Petrarchan Sonnet

• Love Sonnet

The Shakespearean Sonnet Format

• Made up of 14 lines

• Has a total of 4 verses: 3 quatrains (3 verses that are 4 lines each) followed by 1 couplet (1 verse that is 2 lines)

Look at the verses of Sonnet 130.

How would you label the annotated verses? (Record your response on the next slide.)

Fill in the Blank

What would you label the annotated verses from the previous slide a COUPLET or a QUATRAIN?

Multiple Choice

How many lines make up a couplet?

• three

• four

• one

• two

Shakespearean Sonnets are written in Iambic Pentameter.

• Meter is the the rhythm of the poem, like the beat to music. Sonnets use a specific format: iambic pentameter.

• Each line is made up of 5 iambs (hint: penta=5).

• An iamb is two syllables, where the first is unstressed and the second is stressed (emphasized - think how it comes out more forcefully from your mouth).

• That means each line of a sonnet is 10 syllables, if you clap them out.

Look at the structure of Sonnet 130.

Which comes first in iambic pentameter: the stressed or unstressed syllable? (Record your response on the next slide.)

Fill in the Blank

What comes first in iambic pentameter: the STRESSED or UNSTRESSED syllable?

Multiple Choice

How many syllables make up an IAMB?

• 10

• 5

• 2

• 1

Shakespearean Sonnet - Rhyme

• A rhyme scheme - Looks at the sequence and arrangement of sounds at the end of each line of poetry. It is usually represented by using letters to demonstrate which lines rhyme with which.

• Shakespearean Sonnets have a particular rhyme scheme: ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG

Look at the format of Sonnet 130.

How would you label the rhyme scheme for the first verse? (Record your response on the next slide.)

Multiple Choice

The rhyme scheme of the first verse would be...

• AABB

• ABAB

• BABA

• GG

Shakespearean Sonnet - Additional Structures

• Shakespearean Sonnets are typically about love.

• Each sonnet includes a volta, or turning point.

• .The lines leading up to the volta introduces a problem or a question.

• The lines after the volta provides a solution or answer.

Read Sonnet 130.

What is the speaker's problem with his mistress? (Record your response on the next slide.)

Open Ended

What is the problem that the speaker has with his mistress?

Re-Read Sonnet 130.

What does the speaker reveal in the couplet? (Record your response on the next slide.)

Open Ended

In the couplet, what does the speaker reveal about his mistress?

What do these lines mean?

"And in some perfumes is there more delight/Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks."

Open Ended

"And in some perfumes is there more delight/Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks." In my own words, these lines mean:

What do these lines mean?

"And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare/As any she belied with false compare."

Open Ended

"And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare/As any she belied with false compare." In my own words, these lines mean:

Why write something so structured?

• Humans like rhythm and rhyme - our brains are hardwired to enjoy poetry and music.

• Sonnets give repetition and variety - these qualities make people comfortable, but keeps interest.

• Sonnets give boundaries/rules - structure is also something our brains like.