Shakespearean Sonnets

Act II of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet begins with a Prologue written as a
sonnet. In class, we will look at the structure, syllable count, and rhyme scheme.
Now old desire doth in his deathbed lie,
And young affection gapes to be his heir.
That fair for which love groaned for and would die
With tender Juliet matched, is now not fair.
Now Romeo is beloved and loves again,
Alike bewitchd by the charm of looks,
But to his foe supposed he must complain,
And she steal loves sweet bait from fearful hooks.
Being held a foe, he may not have access
To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear.
And she as much in love, her means much less
To meet her new beloved anywhere.
But passion lends them power, time means, to meet,
Tempering extremities with extreme sweet.
Shakespearean Sonnet Structure: 14-lines (10 syllables each): 3 quatrains, 1 couplet, rhyme
scheme below
Lines

Quatrain

Quatrain

Quatrain

Couplet

Line 1
Line 2
Line 3
Line 4
Line 5
Line 6
Line 7
Line 8
Line 9
Line 10
Line 11
Line 12
Line 13
Line 14

Syllable Count
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10

Rhyme Scheme (pattern of end rhyme)

a
b
a
b
c
d
c
d
e
f
e
f
g
g

Shakespearean Sonnets Activity

Now, it is your turn to write a Shakespearean Sonnet! You will follow the
same structure, syllable count, and rhyme scheme Shakespeare used. Since Romeo
and Juliet is a love story, your sonnet will be on something you love. This can be a
person, place, or an object.

Your sonnet must include:

A creative title
A topic about something you love
An illustration representing your topic
14 lines (3 quatrains; 1 couplet)
Rhyme Scheme (abab cdcd efef gg)
10 syllables per line (no more; no less)

Your sonnet is due on Monday, March 2 by 7:20 a.m. on turnitin.com

Shakespearean Sonnet Rubric

___/5- Title
___/5- Illustration
___/14- 14 lines (3 quatrains; 1 couplet)
___/5- Rhyme Scheme (abab cdcd efef gg)
___/14- 10 syllables per line (no more; no less)
___/5- Topic is about something you love
____/48 Total Points