Sonnets

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word sonnet? No seriously, we're asking. 

Did you think "love poem"? Or "Shakespeare"? Or maybe you think something as simple as "a type of poem." We know there's at least someone out there who's thinking "Sonnet? I hardly know it."

But you know what? You do know it. Or at least you will by the end of this course. With intros, readings, and standards-aligned activities, you'll be able to

• identify a sonnet in the wild, and determine what type of sonnet it is.
• break down a sonnet by meter, rhyme scheme, and structure.
• spot the volta, and explain the change it effects in the poem.
• identify and explain the common elements of sonnets, including their thematic traditions.
• discuss the variations of the sonnet throughout the ages, and identify major sonneteers in the history of English literature.
• close-read a sonnet to discern its meaning, as well as the methods used to create that meaning.
• write your own sonnets that stay true to the form's rules and themes.

Because you can't call yourself a Shmoopoet without at least attempting to write fourteen lines of rhyming iambic pentameter.

And yes, it's exactly as difficult as it sounds.

Unit Breakdown