Raeda Al-Hamedi

Lesson Objective:

- Students will define a sonnet as a 14-line lyric poem with a specific rhyme scheme and meter.
- Students will learn about the Italian origins of the sonnet, its creation by Giacomo da Lentini, its popularization by Petrarch, and its introduction to England by Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard.
- Analyze the Two Main Types of Sonnets:

1- Petrarchan (Italian) Sonnet:

- - Understand its structure: an octave (8 lines) and a sestet (6 lines).
  - Learn its rhyme scheme: abbaabba cdecde.
  - Identify the volta (shift in tone or argument) between the octave and sestet.

2- Shakespearean (English) Sonnet:

- - Understand its structure: three quatrains (4 lines each) and a couplet (2 lines).
  - Learn its rhyme scheme: abab cdcd efef gg.
  - Identify the volta, typically occurring in the final couple

What Is a Sonnet?

a sonnet is a 14-line lyric poem with a specific rhyme scheme and meter.

The Two Types of Sonnets

The oldest sonnets are the Italian sonnets, called the Petrarchan sonnets. Example of their structure.

The most famous sonnets are the English sonnets, called the Shakespearean sonnets. Example of their structure.

Group Activity: Analyzing a Sonnet

Instructions:

1. Work in Groups:

Form your assigned groups to collaborate on this activity.

2. Open the Google Document:

Click on the Google Classroom assignment button to access the shared document containing the sonnet for analysis.
Download the document to your group’s preferred workspace (e.g., Google Docs, Microsoft Word).

3. Follow These Steps to Analyze the Sonnet:

Step 1: Analyze the Rhyme Scheme
- Read the sonnet carefully.
- Label the rhyme scheme for each line using letters (a, b, c, etc.).
- Write the complete rhyme scheme at the end of the poem.
Step 2: Identify the Volta
- Look for a shift in tone, argument, or theme in the sonnet.
- Determine if the volta occurs:
  - After the 8th line (Petrarchan sonnet).
  - In the final couplet (Shakespearean sonnet).
- Highlight or underline the line(s) where you believe the volta occurs.
- Write a brief explanation of why you chose this line as the volta.
Step 3: Determine the Sonnet Type
- Based on your analysis of the rhyme scheme and volta, decide whether the sonnet is:
  - Petrarchan (Italian)
  - Shakespearean (English)
- Write your conclusion in the designated section of the document.

4. Upload Your Group’s Work:

Save your completed document with your group name in the file title (e.g., "Group 1 - Sonnet Analysis").
Upload the document to the Google Classroom assignment submission section.

Analyze the Rhyme Scheme and Volta of a Sonnet - Google Classroom

Sonnet 43: How do I love thee

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Reflection on Sonnet Analysis

Instructions:

Write a short paragraph reflecting on what you learned about sonnets:

Begin by explaining what you learned in this lesson about sonnets.
Describe how analyzing the rhyme scheme and structure helped you determine whether the sonnet was Petrarchan or Shakespearean.
Share whether you found it easy or challenging to identify the sonnet type and explain why.
Reflect on what this lesson taught you about sonnets and how this knowledge might help you analyze other forms of poetry in the future.

Submit your answers as one cohesive paragraph, written in full sentences.

Reflection on Sonnet Analysis - Google Classroom

Additional Resources

Poetry comes alive through its structure, with stanzas serving as the building blocks of a poem. Explore the different types of stanzas—from couplets to octets—and discover how poets use them to organize ideas, create rhythm, and shape the flow of their work!

What is a Stanza?

It is the group of lines.

2 lines - Couplet

3 lines - Triplet

4 lines - Quatrain

5 lines - Quintain

6 lines - Sestet

8 lines - Octet

PowerPoint Presentation -What Is a Sonnet