I can identify 3 ways in order to distinguish what a sonnet is.

FQ: What is a sonnet? How do you write one? (Standard CC.9-10.SL.1.a)

Do Now:Why do people write about love? Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets, why do you think it is such a popular topic to write about?

Mini- Lesson

What is a sonnet? How do you write one?

A sonnet is written in iambic pentameter. An “iamb” is two syllables. The first syllable is unstressed and the second syllable is stressed. (The opposite of iambic is trochaic.) When they are sounded together you get a fall and a rise. Penta means five so iambic pentameter is five iambs strung together.

This is what it looks like:

He TURNED the FOURteenth GLASS and SAID, “beGIN”.

And I had FOURteen MINutes LEFT to LIVE;

And I had FOURteen UNrePENTed SINS,

And FOURteen PEOple WHOM i WOULD forGIVE.

A sonnet has fourteen lines. A traditional Shakespearean sonnet has three quatrains (a quatrain is a group of four lines), followed by a couplet (a couplet is a group of two lines).

Most sonnets feature a turn. The turn could be a change in tone, a change in subject, or a change in the theme. The turn generally occurs between the second and fourth quatrains. An easy example of a turning point you might see in a sonnet would be that lines 1-8 ask a question or series of questions and lines 9-14 answer the question or questions.

So why would you write something this structured? For one thing, humans are hard-wired for poetry. We like rhythm and we like rhyme. Sonnets give us repetition and variety, both of which we like when they are paired together. Furthermore, it gives you a set of boundaries or rules to work with, which we also like. This isn’t to say that we always have to follow the rules, and some poets like to change up the form a bit, just like sometimes its fun to make up a game as you go along.

Group Work: Read Sonnet 18 and 71, which are on the website, and the answer the questions that follow.

  1. Find three examples of personification in Sonnet 18.
  1. Let’s take another season: fall. Provide three reasons why you might not want to compare someone to fall.
  1. Does this poem have to be about romantic love, or could it be about the love you share with a close friend or sibling? Why or why not?
  1. Does Sonnet 18 relate to Macbeth? Why or why not? Does Sonnet 71?

Wrap up: Answer the following questions in full, complete sentences.

What are three new facts you’ve gained learning about sonnets?