2.  William Shakespeare is known as one of the original Sonneteers. He wrote 154 sonnets!

3. The English Sonnet consists of 14 lines SONNET 130 My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; 1 Coral is far more red than her lips' red; 2 If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;3 If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.4 I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,5 But no such roses see I in her cheeks; 6 And in some perfumes is there more delight7 Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.8 I love to hear her speak, yet well I know9 That music hath a far more pleasing sound;10 I grant I never saw a goddess go;11 My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:12 And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare 13 As any she belied with false compare. 14

4. English Sonnets have a rhyme scheme of abab cdcd efef gg SONNET 130 My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damask'd, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound; I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground: And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare. a b a b c c d d e f e f g g

5. English Sonnets consist of three quatrains (stanzas of four lines with alternating rhyme schemes) and an ending couplet (two lines combined by rhyme). My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;a Coral is far more red than her lips' red;b If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;a If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.b I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,c But no such roses see I in her cheeks; d And in some perfumes is there more delightc Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.d I love to hear her speak, yet well I knowe That music hath a far more pleasing sound;f I grant I never saw a goddess go;e My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:f And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare g As any she belied with false compare. g Sonnet 130

6. English Sonnets are usually in Iambic Pentameter which consists of stressed and unstressed syllables. (/U) my MIS/tress’ EYES/ are NOTH/ing LIKE/ the SUN Sonnet 130 line 1: My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun U / U / U / U / U /