The Sonnet Worksheet
Name______________________________________
Instructions: Read the PowerPoint and find the answers.
1. A sonnet is a ___________line poem.
2. The Petrarchan sonnet consists of ________lines with one 8-line section called a
________________ and one 6-line rhyming section called a __________________.
3. Ironically, the English sonnet was not developed by Shakespeare, but was made
popular by ___________________________, an Earl.
4. The English sonnet consists of ____________lines with a set of
___________quatrains, and a ______-line heroic couplet. The turn usually occurs at
line___________.
5. The rhyme scheme of the English sonnet is: _______ _______ _______ _________
6. Sonnets are unique because the reader finds meaning in the________________ and
the ______________________.
7. Thematically, the sonnet is divided into two sections. The first section presents
the ___________________________________________________ and the second section
____________________________________________. The transition between the two
sections is called the ______________.
8. The sonnet "Farewell Love and All Thy Laws For Ever" is an example of what
type of sonnet? ____________________________________
9. The word hitherto most likely means:
A. just then
B. until now
C. mentioned earlier
D. notwithstanding
10. Explain 'the problem” the speaker finds himself thinking about in "Sonnet 138."
11. Explain one of the puns found in "Sonnet 138."
12. What purpose and effect does the colon serve in line 7 of 'Sonnet 138”?
13. Why are skilled writers attracted to writing sonnets?
14. Speculate why the two-line resolution of an English sonnet is called a "heroic
couplet."
15. In one complex sentence, describe the problem and resolution found in
Shakespeare's Sonnet 116. (Hint: Read both versions.)
16. Think about a problem a person your age might have that could be poeticized
in a sonnet or a thing to be admired. Look at my example and briefly describe a
modern problem you could explore in a sonnet.