Sonnet Assignment English 9 and 10

English 9

Essay 9—Shakespearean Sonnet

Donkersloot/Schmidt

 

Write your Own Sonnet

Now that you know what a sonnet is made of, and you’ve read some examples of sonnets from Shakespeare, it’s time to put that knowledge to use. You will write your own sonnet.

 

For this assignment, you will use music as your inspiration. Think of some of your favorite songs. Brainstorm a few songs you really like. Figure out which one might work best as a sonnet. The song you choose is the song you will turn into a Shakespearean sonnet. You can change words and add or subtract words where necessary. You’ll move it all around and use your creativity to transform one type of poetry (songs) into another (a sonnet.)

 

Reminder: A Shakespearean sonnet has the following:

• Three quatrains and one couplet
• An abab, cdcd, efef, gg rhyme scheme
• 14 lines of iambic pentameter

 

Assignment: If you can answer "yes" to all of the following questions, you're done: My poem is based on a song. I have 3 quatrains (4 lines each) I have a couplet (2 lines at the end) In each quatrain, the first and third lines rhyme with each other, and the second and fourth lines rhyme with each other. The two lines in my couplet rhyme with each other. All of the lines are 10 syllables, and can be read with a beat of daDUM daDUM daDUM daDUM daDUM (Try counting on your fingers!) If you have answered YES to those questions, you’re done! Write the title and artist of the song it is based on. Have fun with this assignment, and make Shakespeare proud!!

 

Courtesy of http://reynoldsenglish12.blogspot.com/2008/01/write-your-own-sonnet.html