Exploring Shakespeare's Sonnet 18

Which of the following lines from Sonnet 18 contains a metaphor?

• "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"

• "Thou art more lovely and more temperate."

• "Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May."

• "And summer's lease hath all too short a date."

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

What is the rhyme scheme of Sonnet 18?

• ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

• AABB CCDD EEFF GG

• ABBA CDDC EFFE GG

• ABCD EFGH IJKL MN

Identify the use of personification in the following line from Sonnet 18: "Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade."

• Death is given the human ability to brag.

• Death is described as a shadow.

• Death is compared to a wanderer.

• Death is depicted as a season.

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Explain the iambic pentameter in the line: "Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May."

• The line has five iambs, each consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.

• The line has four iambs, each consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable.

• The line has six iambs, each consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.

• The line has five iambs, each consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable.

Analyze the theme of immortality in Sonnet 18. Which line best supports this theme?

• "Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines."

• "But thy eternal summer shall not fade."

• "And every fair from fair sometime declines."

• "Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest."

Tags

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Interpret the meaning of the quote: "So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, / So long lives this, and this gives life to thee."

• The poem will last as long as people are alive to read it.

• The speaker's love will fade with time.

• The beauty of the beloved will diminish over time.

• The beloved will live forever in the speaker's memory.

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Which of the following lines from Sonnet 18 uses a metaphor to describe the sun?

• "Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines."

• "And often is his gold complexion dimmed."

• "And every fair from fair sometime declines."

• "Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest."

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Discuss the use of personification in the line: "And often is his gold complexion dimmed."

• The sun is given a human-like complexion.

• The sun is compared to a golden object.

• The sun is described as a dim light.

• The sun is depicted as a fading star.

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Identify the poetic device used in the line: "Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade."

• Simile

• Metaphor

• Personification

• Alliteration

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Which of the following best explains the iambic pentameter in Sonnet 18?

• Each line consists of five pairs of syllables, with the first syllable stressed and the second unstressed.

• Each line consists of five pairs of syllables, with the first syllable unstressed and the second stressed.

• Each line consists of four pairs of syllables, with the first syllable stressed and the second unstressed.

• Each line consists of six pairs of syllables, with the first syllable unstressed and the second stressed.

Tags

CCSS.RL.9-10.5