Sonnets English Bermudez

Learning Objectives Identify and label the rhyme scheme Identify a Shakespearean sonnet Identify and label the rhyme scheme Identify and label iambic pentameter Identify and label a Shakespearean sonnet's divisions Write a definition for a Shakespearean sonnet Write a definition for paraphrase and its purpose Paraphrase a Shakespearean sonnet

When did he write them? The writings in this lesson come from Shakespeare's early years and were probably composed between 1592 and 1597. It is reasonable then to suppose that the inspiration came from the time between when he left Stratford and popped up on the literary scene in London. (154)

Sonnet The name sonnet comes from the Italian word “sonnet” which literally means “little song.”

What is a sonnet? A 14 line poem Usually written in iambic pentameter…has one of two basic structures Petrarchan (also called the Italian sonnet) or English, Elizabethan, or Shakespearean sonnet

Petrarchan sonnet Consists of an 8-line octave followed by a 6-line sestet. The octave and sestet in this sonnet are usually related The octave introduces the poem’s subject, and the sestet responds to it The octave (first 8 lines) contains a question or problem. The sestet (last 6 lines) proposes an answer or solution.

Elizabethan / Shakespearean Consists of three quatrains (four-line stanzas) followed by concluding couplet (two rhyming lines).

Iambic pentameter Lines in poetry written in iambic pentameter contain five iambs. Iamb (~’): is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable Ex: protect Shall I/ compare/ thee to/ a sum/ mer's day Thou art/ more lov/ly and/ more temp/orate

Iambic Pentameter In order to write a sonnet you have to be able to write iambic pentameter. “Iambic pentameter” is the name given to a certain type of rhythm. An “iamb” is two syllables. The first syllable is un-stressed, and the second syllable is stressed or emphasized. When the two syllables are spoken out loud, they sound like a fall and rise. Many single words are iambic. Say the following words out loud and listen to how you naturally emphasize or stress the first syllable of the word and then how you naturally let the second syllable fall. within forgive myself explain begin

Iambic Pentameter To make the idea of the iamb more visual, let’s use CAPITAL letters for stressed syllables and lower case letters for unstressed syllables. The list above would look as follows: withIN forGIVE mySELF exPLAIN beGIN

The Turn or “Volta” The word “volta” is the Italian word for “turn.” Placing a volta in a sonnet is the most difficult part for many people. To help visualize a volta or turn in your sonnet, think of this: When you are walking through a field, you may at some point decide to change direction by turning. You might turn one small degree from your previous direction, or you might turn all the way around, 180 degrees and head in the opposite direction. You may do the same thing in a sonnet. Where the turn comes in the sonnet also sometimes depends on what type of sonnet you are attempting to write. In a Shakespearean sonnet the turn usually comes at the ninth line.

Volta An easy example of a turning point would be, lines 1-8 ask a question or series of questions and lines 9-14 answer the question or questions.

Rhyme scheme ? ? ? Petrarchan Shakespearean Abba, abba, cde, cde Abab, cdcd, efef, gg (most common) aa bb cc dd ee ff gg

Paraphrase A paraphrase takes difficult language and explains it in easier, more understandable, language. It is usually as long as and often longer than the original piece. It does not contain any of the original language.

All sonnets have fourteen lines All sonnets have fourteen lines. What makes a sonnet a Shakespearean sonnet is that its fourteen lines rhyme like this: Line 1 rhymes with line 3 Line 2 rhymes with line 4 Line 3 rhymes with line 1 Line 4 rhymes with line 2 Line 5 rhymes with line 7 Line 6 rhymes with line 8 Line 7 rhymes with line 5 Line 8 rhymes with line 6 Line 9 rhymes with line 11 Line 10 rhymes with line 12 Line 11 rhymes with line 9 Line 12 rhymes with line 10 Line 13 rhymes with line 14 Line 14 rhymes with line 13

Sonnet 18 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. Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimmed; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimmed; But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest, Nor shall death brag thou wanderest in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou growest. So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Sonnet 18 OOOOH Baby I think I shall compare you to a summer day But, you know, you're prettier and even better, even calm Because sometimes it gets windy and the buds on the trees get shaken off And sometimes summer doesn't last very long Sometimes it's too hot And everything gorgeous loses its looks By getting hit by a truck Or just because everyone and everything gets old and ugly and shabby BUT (and here's the turn) you're going to keep your looks for ever Your beauty will last for ever I'm going to make sure that you never lose your good looks And that nasty old Death can never brag about owning you Because I shall write this poem about you As long as men can breathe (are you breathing?) As long as men can see (are you looking at this poem?) Then this poem lives, and it gives life and memory to your beauty.

The argument of Sonnet 18 goes like this: First quatrain: Shakespeare establishes the theme of comparing "thou" (or "you") to a summer's day, and why to do so is a bad idea. The metaphor is made by comparing his beloved to summer itself. Second quatrain: Shakespeare extends the theme, explaining why even the sun, supposed to be so great, gets obscured sometimes, and why everything that's beautiful decays from beauty sooner or later. He has shifted the metaphor: In the first quatrain, it was "summer" in general, and now he's comparing the sun and "every fair," every beautiful thing, to his beloved. Third quatrain: Here the argument takes a big left turn with the familiar "But." Shakespeare says that the main reason he won't compare his beloved to summer is that summer dies — but she won't. He refers to the first two quatrains — her "eternal summer" won't fade, and she won't "lose possession" of the "fair" (the beauty) she possesses. So he keeps the metaphors going, but in a different direction. And for good measure, he throws in a negative version of all the sunshine in this poem — the "shade" of death, which, evidently, his beloved won't have to worry about. Couplet: How is his beloved going to escape death? In Shakespeare's poetry, which will keep her alive as long as people breathe or see. This bold statement gives closure to the whole argument — it's a surprise.

Blank Verse Sonnet There is a type of sonnet which doesn’t rhyme, called a blank verse sonnet. “Blank verse” is un-rhymed iambic pentameter. So, a blank verse sonnet is 14 lines of un- rhymed iambic pentameter. This what you will be writing ;)

Sonnet: Quick Review  First quatrain: An exposition of the main theme and main metaphor. Second quatrain: Theme and metaphor extended or complicated; often, some imaginative example is given. Third quatrain: Peripeteia (a twist or conflict), often introduced by a "but" (very often leading off the ninth line). Couplet: Summarizes and leaves the reader with a new, concluding image.