1. Shakespeare’s Sonnets
Literary Analysis

2. William Shakespeare 1564 - 1616 Famous English playwright and poet
Wrote Romeo and Juliet (and many other plays)
Also famous for writing many sonnets

3. overall message of the sonnet
What is a Sonnet?
Sonnet = type of poem
Has certain rules:
14 lines
Certain rhyme scheme
(ABBA, CDDC, EFFE, GG)
Last 2 lines = rhyming couplet
To be a sonnet it has to follow these rules.
Sonnets were often love poems written about a specific person
The final couplet =
overall message of the sonnet

4. What is a Muse?
Muse – a person (often a woman) who inspires an artist or writer
Muses in Greek Mythology were 9 goddesses who were each connected with a form of art

5. Some Common Muses Aphrodite Helen of Troy Muses from Myth and Legend
Beautiful princess. She was kidnapped for her beauty. Her kidanpping started the Trojan war.
Aphrodite
Greek goddess of Beauty

6. Shakespeare’s Muse Many of Shakespeare’s sonnets have the same muse.
She is commonly referred to as the “Dark Lady.”
Shakespeare often referred to her as “my mistress.”
Her identity is unknown and is still debated by historians.

7. Literary Analysis
Write a literary analysis essay that compares and contrasts the way the lady/mistress is represented in these two poems.
Sonnet #18
By William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
   So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
   So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Sonnet # 130
By William Shakespeare
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head;
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some pérfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound.
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
  And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
  As any she belied with false compare.

8. How is the lady represented in the 2 poems?
Literary Analysis
Write a literary analysis essay that compares and contrasts the way the lady/mistress is represented in these two poems.
Sonnet #18
By William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
   So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
   So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Sonnet # 130
By William Shakespeare
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head;
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some pérfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound.
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
  And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
  As any she belied with false compare.
What steps are needed to do this task?
Steps:
1. Read both poem.
2. Make sure I understand the poem (tone, main idea)
3. Compare the main ideas of the 2 poems.
How is the lady represented in the 2 poems?

9. “Need to Know” Strategy
Sonnet #18
By William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
   So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
   So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Step 2: Check for understanding
Step 1: Read the poem
“Need to Know” Strategy
What DO I KNOW?
What do I NEED TO KNOW?
What can I LEAVE OUT?

10. Is the TONE of the poem positive or negative?
Sonnet #18
By William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
   So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
   So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Is the TONE of the poem positive or negative?
Circle the positive and negative words.
The tone of the poem seems more positive.
What do I think the poem means now?

11. Underline the parts of the poem you understand as they are written.
Sonnet #18
By William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
   So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
   So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
What DO I KNOW?
Underline the parts of the poem you understand as they are written.

12. ? What DO I NEED KNOW? Sonnet #18 By William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
   So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
   So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
What DO I NEED KNOW?
Try to fill in the gaps between lines you underlined to get a better understanding of the poem.
Can
you
You are ?
Sweet May flowers
Summertime?
is too short
Sometimes the sun shines too hot
His gold face is made dimmer ?
But your everlasting summer won’t fade
You won’t lose your beauty?
Death won’t brag that you wander in his shade
As long as men breathe and see
This poem lives and makes you live forever.

13. ? Write down your answer to this underneath the poem.
Sonnet #18
By William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
   So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
   So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Remember, we guessed that the tone was positive.
Can
you
How does this poem represent the lady?
Beautiful
More lovely than summer
Prettier than the sun
Her beauty will last forever in the poem (though it might not last forever in real life)
You are ?
Sweet May flowers
Summertime?
is too short
Write down your answer to this underneath the poem.
Sometimes the sun shines too hot
His gold face is made dimmer ?
But your everlasting summer won’t fade
You won’t lose your beauty?
Death won’t brag that you wander in his shade
As long as men breathe and see
This poem lives and makes you live forever.

14. Step 2: Underline what you DO understand.
Sonnet # 130
By William Shakespeare
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head;
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some pérfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound.
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
  And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
  As any she belied with false compare.
Analysis Steps
Step 1: Circle positive and negative words. Is the tone more positive or negative?
Step 2: Underline what you DO understand.
Step 3: Make notes over the parts you don’t understand.
Step 4: Under the poem, write how you feel the poem represents the lady.

15. Literary Analysis How did Sonnet 130 represent the lady?
Write a literary analysis essay that compares and contrasts the way the lady/mistress is represented in these two poems.
Sonnet #18
By William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
   So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
   So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Sonnet # 130
By William Shakespeare
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head;
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some pérfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound.
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
  And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
  As any she belied with false compare.
How did Sonnet 18 represent the lady?
How did Sonnet 130 represent the lady?

16. Shakespeare’s Sonnets
Literary Analysis

17. Literary Analysis How did Sonnet 130 represent the lady?
Write a literary analysis essay that compares and contrasts the way the lady/mistress is represented in these two poems.
Sonnet #18
By William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
   So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
   So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Sonnet # 130
By William Shakespeare
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head;
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some pérfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound.
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
  And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
  As any she belied with false compare.
How did Sonnet 18 represent the lady?
How did Sonnet 130 represent the lady?

18. Which text structure would be best?
Literary Analysis
Write a literary analysis essay that compares and contrasts the way the lady/mistress is represented in these two poems?
Cause & Effect
Compare & Contrast
Problem & Solution
Which text structure would be best?

19. Cause & Effect Essay Structure
Introduction paragraph:
Begin with a hook. Introduce the topic. End with your THESIS STATEMENT.
Body Paragraph 1: Sonnet 18
Topic Sentence: Discuss the overall description of the lady
Evidence: Textual proof of that description
Elaboration: What does this say about the lady?
Body Paragraph 2: Sonnet 130
Topic Sentence: Discuss the overall description of the lady
Evidence: Textual proof of that description
Elaboration: What does this say about the lady?
Conclusion:
Overall message about LOVE of the 2 sonnets.
What does the author want the reader to think about?

20. Comparing 2 Texts
Step 1: Review your notes and text markings about the 2 sonnets.
Step 2: Compete the analysis of both poems:
Sonnet 18
Sonnet 130
Step 3: Analyze the overall message about love in the poems.

21. Start by answering the question in the top box.
Do the poems represent the ladies similarly or differently in the two poems?

22. Now, look at your notes from Sonnet 18 and use the sentence starters to help you fill out the first analysis
Do the poems represent the ladies similarly or differently in the two poems?
Sonnet 18 presents the lady as …
Quote from Sonnet 18
This quote says the lady is ________ because ______.
Quote from Sonnet 18
This quote says the lady is ________ because ______.

23. Now, look at your notes from Sonnet 130 and use the sentence starters to help you fill out the first analysis
Sonnet 130 presents the lady as …
Quote from Sonnet 130
This quote says the lady is ________ because ______.
Quote from Sonnet 130
This quote says the lady is ________ because ______.

24. What overall message are the poems showing us about love?
Finally, answer the reflection question at the bottom
Do the poems represent the ladies similarly or differently in the two poems?
Sonnet 18 presents the lady as …
Sonnet 130 presents the lady as …
Quote from Sonnet 18
Quote from Sonnet 130
This quote says the lady is ________ because ______.
This quote says the lady is ________ because ______.
Quote from Sonnet 18
Quote from Sonnet 130
This quote says the lady is ________ because ______.
This quote says the lady is ________ because ______.
What overall message are the poems showing us about love?