How to write a Shakespearean Sonnet

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How to write a Shakespearean Sonnet
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The man who writes a good love sonnet needs not
only to be enamored of a woman, but also to be
enamored of the sonnet. C.S. Lewis
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Lets start by brainstorming. Make sure you have
a paper and pencil handy. A good eraser is also
recommended! Now, lets begin. What do you want
to say in your sonnet? A lot of sonnets pertain
to love in some way, but yours doesnt have to.
If you are having trouble coming up with some
ideas, here are some things to think
about -school -seasons -jealousy -forgiveness -lo
ving from afar -not loving someone
back -sports -losing a loved one -falling in
love -a pet -a problem -an emotion
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Now that you have your topic, think of a metaphor
that you want to use throughout your sonnet. Try
to think of something that wouldnt normally be
compared to your topic, and then figure out ways
that they are similar. Once you have your
metaphor and how you want to compare it to your
topic, write it down so you dont forget it
later. Try to avoid tired metaphors and come up
with some originals! Instead of His eyes were
black as night try his eyes glittered coal
Instead of Her lips were red as roses try
Heaven painted her crimson lips Work on vivid
words and avoid ordinary linking verbs such as
are, was, were, is, can, be, etc.
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• Now that you know all the different sections of
  the Shakespearean sonnet and understand how each
  one functions, youre almost ready to write one
  of your own. We just need to go over a few things
  about style and form first.
• All Shakespearean sonnets require the following
  stylistically
• 3 quatrains
• 1 couplet
• 14 lines
• ABABCDCDEFEFGG rhyme scheme
• Iambic pentameter

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Quatrain 1 These four lines introduce the main
metaphor and theme of the sonnet.
That time of year thou mayst in me behold When
yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang Upon
those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare
ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
Here, we find out that this poem is about a man
whos growing old. Hes comparing his life to the
changing of the seasons. The year is coming to a
close as fall slowly gives way to winter, and so
too is his life. In the first line he makes it
clear that he is addressing another person, as he
uses the word thou. This is the first stage of
the sonnets argument.
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Quatrain 2 The metaphor and the theme are
continued and a creative illustration is usually
given to further the ideas of the first quatrain.
In me thou seest the twilight of such day As
after sunset fadeth in the west, Which by and by
black night doth take away, Death's second self,
that seals up all in rest.
We see the same theme continued here, only now
the man has shifted from comparing himself to the
end of the year to the end of a day. He has
narrowed down his argument from a year to a day.
This makes the poem seem more urgent because days
pass much more quickly than years do. The
creative example we see here is the reference to
night being deaths second self.
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Quatrain 3 This is where your turn occurs.
This is where you reflect on your topic, take it
in a new direction, or extend your metaphor in an
unexpected way.
In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire That
on the ashes of his youth doth lie, As the
death-bed whereon it must expire Consumed with
that which it was nourish'd by.
Here, the argument continues and the metaphor
shifts to something even more fleeting than a
daya dying fire.
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Couplet These two lines summarize the entire
sonnet and give the reader something new to think
about. They often act as the thesis of the poem.
This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more
strong, To love that well which thou must leave
ere long.
Here, Shakespeare does not continue with another
metaphor. The speaker explains that the reason
the other person loves him so strongly is because
he/she knows that the speaker will soon die. They
must experience all the love they can now, before
he passes away. This acts as the thesis because
he states that their love is strong, and uses the
first three quatrains to tell us why their love
is strong.
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Now poets. . .

• Write your own sonnet!

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Congratulations! Youve just written your own
Shakespearean sonnet! Now remember, just because
youve finished doesnt mean youre done. Good
writing is all about revision. The next slide
will give you some ways revise it and give it
that Renaissance flair!
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Write like a Shakespearean!

• If you have an extra syllable in a line, do
  what Shakespeare does take out a vowel or two
  and replace with an apostrophe. Growest
  growst
• Need and extra syllable? Add a diacritical mark
  worked worked
• Make sure the last word in the line is easy to
  rhyme
• Throw in some Elizabethan pronouns
• You Thy, Thine, Thee
• Your Thou
• My Mine
• Add a literary apostrophe by addressing an
  inanimate object with O for example, O,
  thy beautiful textbook!
• And if you are really creative, try to invert a
  sentence by changing the order of the words.
  This also may help if you are stuck on trying to
  figure out a rhyme.
• My heart will love you always becomes
• Always will mine heart love thee.

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Assignment

• Write your sonnet and make sure you have the
  following
• 14 lines (3 quatrains and a couplet)
• Rhyme scheme abab/cdcd/efef/gg
• 10 syllables per line in an iambic pattern if
  possible
• Interesting metaphor(s), vivid verbs,
  Shakespearean pronouns (thy, thou, thee, etc.
• Using pencil, check your sonnet by filling it in
  on the grid that is the back of your Sonnet 18
  worksheet.