Sonnet 18
By William Shakespeare
Questions:
1- What’s a sonnet?
It is a poem of 14 lines dealing with one idea or emotion. That idea is usually a
personal one.
2- What’s the difference between the “Italian Sonnet” and the “Shakespearean
Sonnet”?
The “Italian Sonnet” is divided into two parts: one consisting of eight lines, the
other of six.
The “Shakespearean Sonnet” is divided into three quatrains (stanza of four
lines each) and a heroic couplet (two rhyming lines).
3- What is the theme of “Sonnet 18”?
4- What is the main idea of the sonnet?
The theme and main idea is in the first line where he compares his beloved to a
summer’s day.
5- Paraphrase the first quatrain.
The poet asks a question in the first line, if he should his beloved to a summer
day. He answers in the second line saying that she is more beautiful and not
moody. He then lists the things that he doesn’t like about a summer day. He
doesn’t like the month of May because it is windy shaking and blowing the
small buds. It is also too short
6- Paraphrase the second quatrain.
Date:
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The poet continues listing what he doesn’t like about summer. The sun makes
the weather too hot. Other times the sky is cloudy . In summer many beautiful
creatures stop being beautiful either by accident or by death.
7- Paraphrase the third quatrain.
His beloved summer/beauty, on the contrary, will last forever. She will never
lose her beauty and death will never be able to take her. She will, in fact, live in
lines of verse that cannot die.
8- Paraphrase the heroic couplet.
As long as men live, and as long as they read poetry, the poet’s verse will live
and his beloved will live in it.
9- What is the rhyme scheme of the sonnet?
The rhyme scheme is ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG
10- Pick out the figures of speech in the sonnet.
1- “the eye of heaven shine” Metaphor
2- “his gold complexion” Personification
3- “death brag” Personification
4- “thy eternal summer” Personification
11-The repetition of certain words is effective. Illustrate giving examples.
Repetition of “more”, “fair” and “so long” create internal music .
12-In what way is the poet’s beloved different from a summer’s day?
Summer is short and at a point it ends and dies while the beloved’s beauty is
eternal and will last forever as long as people are reading the poet’s verse.
13-How does Shakespeare develop his idea in the sonnet?
Bardy Language School – Secondary 1
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Date:
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/20
Shakespeare states the theme in the first line. In the first and second quatrain
he lists the aspects of summer. In the third quatrain, he lists the aspects of his
beloved. In the heroic couplet, he sums up the poem.
14-Give the meaning of the following:
a. temperate: moderate, mild, not moody
b. untrimmed: ugly, unpleasant, untidy
c. brag: boast
d. eternal: lasting for ever
Bardy Language School – Secondary 1
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