Shakespeare’s Sonnets

HOMEWORK CHECK  Your

homework was to complete the dialogue translation worksheet you received Friday.  It is due today.  Please take out your homework and be seated quietly.  We’re going to go over your homework together in class.

Warm Up, Monday, November 3

 Shakespeare

wrote 154 sonnets, or poems, in his lifetime, and they are still considered to be some of the most beautiful pieces of poetry today. Why do you think what he wrote is still so popular?

THINK, PAIR, SHARE



First, think about the question and jot down notes about your answer. (5 minutes) Next, get in pairs and groups of threes with the people who sit beside you and talk about what you wrote down. (5 minutes) Finally, we’ll regroup as a class and share what you came up with

SHAKESPEARE’S SONNETS Romeo and Juliet

SHAKESPEARE’S SONNETS 80% of the poems Shakespeare wrote are written in blank verse (metered – or sound like a poem, without rhyming).  William Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets in his lifetime.  There are three famous sonnets in Romeo and Juliet. 

WHAT EXACTLY IS A SONNET?  The

Prologue to Romeo and Juliet is one of three sonnets found in the play.



Chorus.

Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life; Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Do with their death bury their parents’ strife. The fearful passage of their death-marked love, And the continuance of their parents’ rage, Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove, Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage; The which if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

WHAT MAKES A SONNET… A SONNET? Sonnets

are 14 line

poems. Sonnets have definite rhythm and rhyming patterns.

SHAKESPEARE’S SONNETS Rhyming Pattern

ENGLISH SONNET RHYMING PATTERN A B A B C D C D E F E F G G

ENGLISH SONNET RHYMING PATTERN           

  

Line 1: A Two households, both alike in dignity, Line 2: B Line 3: A From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Line 4: B Line 5: C From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, Line 6: D Line 7: C Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Line 8: D Line 9: E The fearful passage of their death-marked love, Line 10: F Line 11: E Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove, Line 12: F Line 13: G Line 14: G

             

Line 1: A Line 2: B In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, Line 3: A Line 4: B Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. Line 5: C Line 6: D A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life; Line 7: C Line 8: D Do with their death bury their parents’ strife. Line 9: E Line 10: F And the continuance of their parents’ rage, Line 11: E Line 12: F Is now the two hours’ traffic or our stage; Line 13: G Line 14: G

ENGLISH SONNET RHYMING PATTERN There

is always a couplet at the end of any kind of sonnet. A couplet consists of Coupletin two lines the same



Chorus.

Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life; Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Do with their death bury their parents’ strife. The fearful passage of their deathmarked love, And the continuance of their parents’ rage, Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove, Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;

The which if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

SHAKESPEARE’S SONNETS Rhythm Patterns

ENGLISH SONNET RHYTHM PATTERN In Shakespeare’s sonnets there are 10 syllables per line.  Let’s look at the first two lines of the third sonnet in Romeo and Juliet, the Chorus lines at the beginning of Act II. 

Now old desire doth in his deathbed lie, And young affection gapes to be his heir; 

Count the syllables in each line.

ENGLISH SONNET RHYTHM PATTERN Shakespeare’s sonnets are spoken using a rhythm pattern called “iambic pentameter”.  That means every other syllable is stressed in a sing-song way. 

 Example:

Now old desire doth in his deathbed lie.

ENGLISH SONNET RHYTHM PATTERN 

Now you try:

And young affection gapes to be his heir That fair for which love ground for and

ENGLISH SONNET RHYTHM PATTERN

With tender Juliet matched, is now not fair. Now Romeo is beloved and loves again, Alike bewitched by the charm of looks; But to his foe supposed

SHAKESPEARE’S SONNETS Couplet Writing

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN First, write a line that could be in a sonnet.  Remember, it should have 10 syllables. Count them out on your fingers!  Next, write a second line, (also with 10 syllables), that rhymes with your first line. Now you have a couplet!  You will be asked to share some of your couplets aloud in class, so be appropriate!  You’ve got 5 minutes to write your couplet. 

SONNET TRANSLATION Romeo and Juliet, Act I Scene 5

ACT I, SCENE 5 SONNET TRANSLATION If I profane with my unworthiest hand  This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:  My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand  To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss. 

If I get you dirty with my hand that doesn’t deserve you  Your hand is like a holy place, and this will be what I do for you:  My lips are like two worshippers, ready to kiss your hand  Smooth the roughness of your hand with a gentle kiss 

ACT I, SCENE 5 SONNET TRANSLATION Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,  Which mannerly devotion shows in this;  For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch,  And palm to palm is holy palmers kiss. 

Worshipper, there’s nothing wrong with your hand  You’re showing proper attention by holding my hand  Because saints have hands and worshippers touch them  And when they touch palms it’s like a holy kiss 

ACT I, SCENE 5 SONNET TRANSLATION Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?  Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.  O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do!  They pray; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair. 

Don’t both saints and their worshippers have lips?  Yes, worshipper, but lips they use in prayer  Then, holy Juliet, let our lips touch the way hands do  Let our lips touch in prayer, please, unless your faith in holiness has turned to sadness 

ACT I, SCENE 5 SONNET TRANSLATION Saints do not move, though grant for prayers’ sake.  Then move not while my prayer’s effect I take. 

But saints don’t move, unless they’re praying  Then don’t move while I kiss you 