Today you get to be Shakespeare and write a sonnet.
A sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines. The last two lines, however, are separate and either sum up the rest of the poem or provide a new twist, as does the sonnet below.
Let’s look at Shakespeare’s Sonnet 62. The letters at the end of each line are Shakespeare’s rhyme scheme, but ignore that for now. Take a few moments and read the sonnet. Then I’ll explain it:
What Does It Mean?
This poet is stating that he loves himself too much and that there is no way to fix it because it is so deeply ingrained. He thinks he is more handsome than others (“Methinks no face so gracious as is mine”) and in great shape. He also declares that he is more important and of greater worth than other people (“As I . . . all worths surmount”). It’s hard not to smile when you read these lines.
But then he walks by a mirror (“glass”) and sees how old, wrinkled, and browned with age he has become. His reflection stops him short. It makes him reconsider his prideful outlook (“Self so self-loving were iniquity”).
The last two lines provide the twist. Here’s a paraphrase of what he’s saying: “When I praise myself, I’m really praising you because you have kept me young. Your love (or friendship) has given me attributes I really do not have without you.”
.
Now it’s your turn: Write a sonnet. Begin by choosing a topic. It can be anything: how much you love your pet, how terrible nightmares are, how good it feels to play your favorite sport, and so on.
Next, write your first twelve lines and mimic Shakespeare’s rhyme scheme in Sonnet 62. His is labeled next to the sonnet.
Last, create the last two lines (a couplet) that either sum up the poem or give it a twist. Those two lines will rhyme with one another.
A version of this prompt was first posted on SchoolhouseTeachers.com. You can go directly to SchoolhouseTeachers.com to sign up and take advantage of many exciting courses written for grades K-12.
Frustrated that your students don’t finish an essay or don’t know the steps to complete one? Worry no more!Click here for my latest article in The Informer about a super-practical writing schedule you WILL use!
[box type=”shadow”] Get three FREE writing lessons by subscribing to Writing with Sharon Watson! Use the Subscribe form in the column to the right.[/box]
Perhaps you didn’t know you have a Disney side. In this Disney Parks television commercial, you’ll find an older man who shows his Disney side by becoming a Disney character—but at an awkward moment!
Gals, which Disney princess are you most like? Guys, which Disney hero are you most like?
Okay, maybe you don’t have a Disney side, but you certainly are very much like any other number of fictional characters.
HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS Proofreading. What a pain. You finish your essay and think you’re through with it, but, no. Now you have to proofread it. It turns out that writing and proofreading are two separate skills. In fact, they use two different parts of your brain and should be done at different times. To take…
SHARON’S BLOG Quotations are rich wells in which to dip our pens. Give your 7th – 12th graders something to ponder with these intriguing, thought-provoking quotations. Most of these quotations come from famous people and are accompanied by more than one writing prompt, so your students have many options open to them. Opinions are the…
HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS So you’re driving your taxi, and someone hails you from the sidewalk. In comes a man you eventually recognize, and you get so excited that you shout a phrase from one of his movies to him. He laughs and joins in the fun. You drop him off, but that is not the…
Are you the clown who entertains the crowds? Or the ringmaster who announces the acts and controls the flow of the entertainment? Is your life more like the wild animal tamer because there are people or emotions in your life you’d like to tame? Could you liken your life to the employee who cooks snacks for the crowds, taking care of their physical needs? Write about your life in terms of a circus employee.
