Shakespearean Sonnets

Active Shakespeare
In "SonnetQuiz," add the final word to the heroic couplet. Students are encouraged to keep trying with the promise of a listing in the Hall of Fame.

Alan Rickman Sonnet 130 Recitation
"My mistress' eyes are nothing like this sun": video from YouTube.

Exploring the Sonnet
In this technology-integrated lesson, students explore Sonnet 18 and an Italian sonnet, then write one of their own. This lesson includes a rubric.

Fun with Sonnets
Students examine the structure of a sonnet, tap out the rhythm of iambic pentameter, and write their own sonnets.

"I am a pirate with a wooden leg": Stomping Iambic Pentameter
Students will learn the basics of iambic pentameter by studying the rhythm of blank verse orally, aurally, visually, and kinesthetically.

It's Elementary!: Stomping and Romping with Shakespeare
The first part of this lesson will engage children in a number of activities that explore rhythm and meter. In the second part of the lesson, students will create a series of "living pictures" to illustrate the song. Designed for elementary students and easily adaptable to older ones.

Living Iambic Pentameter
A video clip of an introduction to iambic pentameter that will work on any grade level.

PhotoDharma! Sonnet #18
A parody of sonnet 18: "Shall I compare thee to a bale of hay?"

The Place 2 Be: Shakespeare's Sonnets
An introduction to the sonnet form, themes and critiques of Shakespearean sonnets.

The Poetics of Hip Hop
Students analyze form in Shakespearean sonnets, then analyze hip hop music to determine common characteristics between the Bard's work and the music of hip hop artists. Students reinforce their understanding of the connections between hip hop and poetry through close analysis of the works of poets Saul Williams and Nikki Giovanni, and through the creation of their own poetry.

Poetry Instruction with Shakespeare's Sonnet 116
This site offers several approaches to the sonnet, including paraphrase, hypertext, meter, rhyme, symbolism, and theme.

Repeat After Us
Audio files and texts of 15 Shakespearean sonnets. A good site for LD students, ELL students, and for those who read well and might like to record and contribute. Files are in alphabetical order by poet; scroll down.

"Shall I Compare Thee?"
Click on "Launch Lesson" to listen to the poem. Follow links to a paraphrase, analysis of image and theme, and more.

Shakespeare was a Black Woman
With emphasis on Sonnet 29, "this is an introductory lesson for students first encountering a Shakespeare play or sonnet and/or in conjunction with Civil Rights studies." Don't miss the audio clip of Maya Angelou reading the first 4 lines.

The Shakespearean Sonnet: An Overview
An overview of the sonnet form, analysis of selected poems.

Shakespeare's Sonnets
This lesson emphasizes paraphrase as a way into the sonnets.

Shakespeare's Sonnets
Text, summary, and critical commentary for each sonnet.

Sonnet 146 ("Poor Soul, the center of my sinful earth")
This audio file of the sonnet requires an MP3 player like QuickTime for access.

Writing a Shakespearean Sonnet
Students analyze sonnets 18 and 29, then write a sonnet of their own.