Pop Sonnets

Erik Didriksen takes pop songs and re-writes them like Shakespearean sonnets (now compiled into a book!). Listen to the interview from the Folger Shakespeare Library. The Folger has a wonderful podcast called Shakespeare Unlimited! Check out the list of episodes here. There are some fantastic episodes like "If Shakespeare Wrote Mean Girls," and more!

Kae Tempest's "My Shakespeare"

Kae Tempest was commissioned by the Royal Shakespearean Company in London to write a spoken-word poem about the ways that Shakespeare's work coincides with our modern language. The effect is a barrage of colloquialisms and phrases that students may not otherwise connect with Shakespeare.

It is the east, and Lego is the sun.

Poem List Handout

First, get into groups 3-4 people. You will need one or more people with their computers open and a Google account logged into. Click the picture above to get a copy of the Poems.

You will then need a couple of handfuls of Lego to get started.

If you enjoy this activity, please feel free to use my document and adapt it.

Get Some Lego

You are going to choose one poem as a group to work on.

For each single-syllable word, you will use a "four block". For each two-syllable word, an "eight block" and so on. Put the blocks into lines just like in the poem.

If you struggle, Matt and Val will be circulating.

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