14 lines, written in iambic pentameter and inextricably linked to feelings of love – the short and sweet sonnet packs as much punch as your favourite three-minute pop song!!

ACTIVITY 1

You might want to start by listening to this podcast.

ACTIVITY 2

Now, read through the three sonnets below. Each of them have been inspired by pop songs you might already know well. Can you figure out which song each sonnet is based on?

Answers further down the page (in red font).

SONNET 1

SONNET 2

SONNET 3

SONNET 4

Answers to activity 2:

  • Sonnet 1: Taylor Swift, ‘Shake It Off’
  • Sonnet 2: Avril Lavigne, ‘Complicated’
  • Sonnet 3: Britney Spears, ‘Oops! I Did It Again’
  • Sonnet 4: Jimmy Eat World, ‘The Middle’

Sonnets taken from here and here.

ACTIVITY 3

Read through the poems again and highlight (or make a list of) the words that make them feel like Shakespearian-style sonnets!

If you listened to the podcast, you’ll have heard the author of these sonnets talk about how he kept some really modern-sounding phrases such as “this sick beat” (from ‘Shake It Off’), but because he surrounded them with more traditional language, they didn’t end up seeming out of place.

ACTIVITY 4

Sonnets – as already mentioned – have a particular rhythm called iambic pentameter. If you can’t quite remember what iambic pentameter is, take five minutes to watch this…

ACTIVITY 5

Write your own sonnet OR transform a song of your choice into a sonnet.

Make sure to:

  • write 14 lines
  • use iambic pentameter
  • use some of the words you highlighted earlier (or any others from the extended list below) to give your sonnet a sense of Shakespearian authenticity!

Here are the words I highlighted in response to activity 3:

  • carouse drink alcohol and enjoy oneself with others in a noisy, lively way.
  • Hydra a many-headed serpent or monster in Greek mythology that was slain by Hercules and each head of which when cut off was replaced by two others.
  • maligned spoken about in harsh, unjust manner or unfairly criticized.
  • well-coiffed hair that is carefully arranged in an attractive style.
  • hither to or towards this place.
  • thee you (the main difference between “thou” and “thee” is that “thou” is used as a subject, while “thee” is used as an object).
  • uncouth lacking good manners, refinement, or grace.
  • debased reduced in quality or value.
  • portend be a sign or warning that (something, especially something momentous or calamitous) is likely to happen.
  • mercurial subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind.
  • alas an exclamation used to express grief, pity, or concern.
  • alack-a-day an exclamation used to express sorrow.
  • thine yours
  • thou you (the main difference between “thou” and “thee” is that “thou” is used as a subject, while “thee” is used as an object).
  • thinkest think
  • lass a girl or young woman.
  • didain’d to be considered unworthy of one’s consideration.
  • platitude a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful.

Some other sonnet-suitable words – all used by Shakespeare in his sonnets:

  • alchemy to turn something into gold
  • ambassage message
  • anon soon
  • aspect astrological term for influence
  • attaint dishonor
  • augurs fortune tellers
  • bankrout bankrupt
  • beshrew a mild curse
  • bett’ring improvement as time passes
  • bootless useless
  • broils battles
  • canker a destructive fungal disease of apple and other trees that results in damage to the bark.
  • car cart
  • carcanet jewelled collar
  • chary carefully
  • churl rude person
  • concord harmony, agreement
  • contracted new newly betrothed/married
  • Dian the goddess of chastity, Diana
  • distill(ed) reduced to the essence
  • dun tan or mud-colored
  • eisell vinegar
  • erst formerly
  • expiate bring to a close
  • extern exterior
  • fair beauty
  • foison abundant harvest
  • gild’st the even make the evening bright
  • haply by accident
  • haply perhaps
  • meetness fitness to the occasion
  • misprision error
  • moity share
  • oblation offering
  • patent right
  • penury poverty
  • Philomel the nightingale
  • physic remedy
  • plenitude plenty
  • poesy poem
  • presage predict
  • presagers indicators
  • prove test
  • rack a mass of streaming clouds
  • rased erased
  • resty lazy
  • rondure sphere
  • ruth pity
  • scanted be short of
  • sheeds sheds
  • sluttish untidy
  • stelled portrayed
  • swart-complexioned dark-complected; swarthy
  • thrallèd oppressed
  • tillage cultivated land
  • tires attire
  • twain two separate beings
  • twire peek
  • uneared untilled
  • vade depart
  • vassalage servitude
  • vaunt boast

ACTIVITY 6

Just a bonus thought: The Verve released a song called ‘Sonnet’ back in 1997. The band’s frontman, Richard Ashcroft, wrote that…

My friend and me
Looking through her red box of memories
Faded I’m sure
But love seems to stick in her veins you know
Yes, there’s love if you want it
Don’t sound like no sonnet, my lord
Yes, there’s love if you want it
Don’t sound like no sonnet, my lord

If poets so often use sonnets to deliver their feelings of love, why would Ashcroft say that love does not sound like a sonnet? What’s his point?

Why not finish today’s class by enjoying The Verve’s classic!