Writer’s Workshop
POETRy
Sonnet 29 By William Shakespeare
Be a Sonnet
Superstar!
When in disgrace with Fortune and men’s eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
D
oes the word “sonnet” send a chill
down your spine? Relax! You don’t
have to be intimidated by the lofty
language of a sonnet. With patience and
careful reading—and a little help from
William Shakespeare himself—you can
master the meaning behind these lyrical
poems. You can even learn how to write
on the next page. Then follow the steps
below to write your own.
YOUR TURN: GRAB A QUILL!
1
Choose a subject
2
Brainstorm
APRIL I
S
POETRY
MONTH!
couplet, for a total of 14 lines.
Illustration: ©Owain Kirby/Illustration Works/Corbis; Photos: Rubberball (3)
waahhhh!
Beweep
means
“feel
sorry
about.”
Learn how to break down a sonnet
and write your own—with the help
of William Shakespeare
your own. Read the Bard’s Sonnet 29
Hello? Anyone
listening up
there?
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,
Someone is
having a serious
pity party. This
guy is jealous of
everybody!
Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least,
That
would
be you.
major hating
happening here
Yet in these thoughts my self almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
A Sonnet
has 14 lines.
(Like to the lark at break of day arising
What the From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven’s gate,
heck does
that mean? For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings,
“With hope.”
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
4
hand over your heart. Do you feel the
NOTE THE rhyme scheme
beat? daDUM, daDUM, daDUM.
6
A sonnet follows the rhyme scheme
In poetry, a “foot” is a group of
Jot down some ideas. What do you
sections. Present the situation in
a-b-a-b, c-d-c-d, e-f-e-f, g-g. Each
syllables and an “iamb” is a type of
self-pity, love, and gratefulness. The
want to say about your topic? Don’t
the first quatrain. In Sonnet 29,
letter stands for a line. The last words
foot. An iamb is an unstressed syllable
speaker doesn’t have a lot of money
worry about poetic form yet. You’re
the first quatrain is about how the
of lines with the same letter rhyme.
followed by a stressed syllable:
out loud. What needs revision? You
or friends. He wishes he were more
just making notes.
speaker envies other people and
For example, “eyes” in line 1 rhymes
daDUM. “Pentameter” means there
will probably write several drafts.
handsome and talented. But when he
3
feels sorry for himself.
with “cries” in line 3.
are five iambs, or “feet,” in a line.
Don’t let that discourage you! Even
5
Read the first line of Sonnet 29, but
professional poets say it can take a
speak the capitalized syllables louder:
long time to make a poem perfect.
Iambic pentameter is the rhythm of
When IN disGRACE with FORtune AND
a heartbeat, and Shakespeare wrote
men’s EYES. This is one line of iambic
his sonnets with this rhythm. Put your
pentameter.
7
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29 is about
thinks about someone he loves, the
Make a Short outline
Divide your sonnet into two
In the second quatrain and
Some terms to know: A
ending couplet, present the
that he says he wouldn’t change
quatrain has four lines.
conclusion. In Sonnet 29,
anything about his life. Now it’s your
A couplet has two lines.
Shakespeare uses the second
turn to pick a topic. What do you feel
Sonnets have three
like writing about?
quatrains, followed by one
thought of her makes him so happy
section to talk about how love
Use iambic pentameter
Scholastic Scope • APRIL 26, 2010
After you write your sonnet, read it
TAKE PRIDE
Share your sonnet with your class!
changes the speaker’s outlook.
more: Check out our powerpoint, “be a sonnet superstar!” 20
Write AND REVISE
scholastic.com/scope
Scholastic Scope • APRIL 26, 2010
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