Shakespearean Sonnets English 9 Team October 28, 2016

Learning target: 10/28

•I can write a sonnet!

Shakespearean Sonnets William Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets;

published in 1609 All of the sonnets are numbered, but are

often referred to by the first line of the sonnet. Sonnets 1-126 are addressed to a young man,

the “Fair Youth” Sonnets 127-152 are addressed to a woman

referred to as the “Dark Lady” Sonnets 153-154 refer to a little “love-god”

named Cupid

Sonnets 14 lines

Iambic pentameter

Rhyme scheme: abab cdcd efef gg

▫ This scheme means the 1st and 3rd lines rhyme, the 2nd and 4th lines rhyme, the

5th and 7th lines rhyme, etc.

Iambic pentameter Iamb: a foot of poetry consisting of two

syllables; the first syllable is unstressed;

the second syllable is stressed

Penta: prefix meaning five (5)

Iambic pentameter: five metrical feet

of unstressed then stressed syllables

Examples 1.That time of year thou mayst in me behold

u / u / u / u / u /

That time of year thou mayst in me behold

2. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

u / u / u / u / u /

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Quatrain Group of four lines in poetry, usually seen as a stanza or

closely related set of lines

In Shakespearean sonnets, each of the three quatrains has

a purpose:

–Quatrain 1: Poses a problem or question

–Quatrain 2: Expands on the problem or

question

–Quatrain 3: Presents an opposing view of or

counterpoint to the problem or question

Couplet Two poetic lines

In Shakespearean sonnets, the

couplet usually answers the question

posed in the first quatrain.

Subject Matters

• Brainstorm three subject matters that could be the focus of your sonnet

• Pair up and discuss the three subject matters that you brainstormed-choose the best one

Tone Speaker’s attitude toward his subject

matter

Examples of tone words: ▫ Happy, elated, thrilled

▫ Sad, morose, melancholic

▫ Bittersweet

▫ Celebratory

▫ Resigned

Subject Matter Idea the poem considers or explores

Subjects commonly found in

Shakespearean sonnets: – Love

– Beauty

– Nature

– Time

– Death

– Poetry, writing

Look for how two or more

subject matters in one sonnet

work together to create

theme or meaning.

Speaker • The narrator of the poem.

• From whose point of view the poem is told.

• Consider what we learn about the narrator: gender, age, race, world-view

Sonnet 29 performed by Rufus

Wainwright • http://youtu.be/ngk4sRQ2C-Y

http://youtu.be/ngk4sRQ2C-Yhttp://youtu.be/ngk4sRQ2C-Yhttp://youtu.be/ngk4sRQ2C-Y

Sonnet 18

Quatrain 1: 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. Problem: Can I compare the love of my life to a summer’s

day, something that is usually great? But it’s not that great.

Sonnet 18

Quatrain 2 Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimmed; And every fair from fair sometimes declines By chance or nature’s changing course

untrimmed; Expanding on the problem: It’s too hot in the summer, and it gets cloudy.

Beauty also fades because of chance or time.

Sonnet 18

Quatrain 3 But thy eternal summer shall not fade Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st, Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st. Opposing view: But, your beauty will never fade, nor will death

ever take you, when you will continue to grow in these poetic lines.

Sonnet 18

Couplet

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Resolution:

As long as man lives and breathes, this poem will give life to my love.

Sonnet

• Subject matters:

▫ Beauty, love

▫ Time, poetry

• Speaker:

▫ A person contemplating comparing his love to a traditionally beautiful thing: a summer’s day

• Theme:

▫ Beauty and love can be preserved through poetry, repelling the effects of time.

Sonnet 116

• Read the poem, using the structure to determine the problem and answer/solution

• Vocabulary questions? Look up words used in an unfamiliar way.

• Subject matter, speaker?

Sonnet 130

• Read the sonnet

• Provide a modern translation

• Look for punctuation—go sentence by sentence, rather than line by line

• Work with a partner

Tragedy • Story of a noble protagonist whose flaw leads to

his/her downfall

• Noble:

▫ Royalty

▫ High military rank

▫ Exceptional personality/character/intentions

• Flaw:

▫ Pride, impulsivity, arrogance, indecision

• Outcome:

▫ Fatality, destruction of life (in any fashion)

Classifying Romeo and Juliet

• Comedy:

▫ Noble characters

▫ Flaws

▫ Flaws do NOT contribute to downfall

▫ Humor

▫ Outcome: Happy endings (marriage)

• Tragicomedy:

▫ A blend of both genres

▫ Starts as comedy, ends in tragedy

Literary terms • Soliloquy: a speech made by the character

when s/he is alone on stage. These speeches reflect the character’s inner or private thoughts.

• Monologue: a speech made by a character directed at other characters who are on stage at the time.

• Aside: a line or two a character says to him/herself, much like the character thinking aloud. The audience, not the other characters, are intended to hear these lines.