Lesson 3
“Sonnet poem”
I. Vocabulary:
a. Sonnet
b. Syllable
II. Reading Informational: Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing
structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style.
Shakespearean vs. Petrarchan worksheet
A. Have students compare and contrast the differences between a Petrarchan sonnet vs. a Shakespearean
sonnet.
B. Some things that students will need to know before they start this assignment are: If the sonnet is
going to be in the English form, the logical progression of thought should be as follows: the first
12 lines develop the main idea, and the last 2 lines (a rhymed couplet) give the conclusion. The
Italian (Petrarchan) form, the pattern should be thus: The first 8 lines develop the main idea,
and the last 6 lines give the conclusion. Italian (Petrarchan) rhyme scheme: abba cddc efg efg.
Shakespearean: abab cdcd efef gg
C. Have students read the following Petrarchan Sonnet and Shakespearean Sonnet
http://www.cranberrydesigns.com/poetry/sonnet/examples.htm
D. They need to answer the questions below using evidence from the text to support each of their answers.
A Game of Chess
To John Brodie
By Gwen Harwood
Nightfall: the town’s chromatic nocturne wakes a
Dark brilliance on the river; colours drift b
And tremble as enormous shadows lift b
Orion to his place. The heart remakes a
That peace torn in the blaze of day. Inside c
Your room are music, warmth and wine, the board d
With chessmen set for play. The harpsichord d
Begins a fugue; delight is multiplied. c
Octet 8 lines
A game: the heart’s impossible ideal- e
To choose among a host of paths, and know f
That if the kingdom crumbles one can yield g
And have the choice again. Abstract and real e
joined in their trance of thought, two players show f
the calm of gods above a troubled field. g
Sestet 6 lines (change from the external
world of the game to the internal world
of the game)
Questions:
1.What is the rhyme scheme of the Shakespearean poem and the Petrarchan poem? Label each accordingly.
2. What does the difference between the rhyme schemes do to the poems? How does it make them different? How
does it make them the same?
3. What is the main idea and conclusion of the Shakespearean poem? Use examples from the text to explain your
meaning.
4.The main idea is the first 12 lines of a Shakespearean poem and the last two are the conclusion. What affect does that
have on the poem? Use examples from the text to back up your reasoning.
5. The main idea is the first 8 lines of a Petrarchan poem and the last 6 are the conclusion. What affect does that have
on the poem? Use examples from the text to back up your reasoning.
6. Which of the two types of writing would you rather read and why? Use examples from the text to back up your
reasoning.