Shakespearian Writing

Prose and Verse

Shakespeare wrote plays alternating the use of both verse and prose

Prose is everyday language of communication (conversation, letters, lectures, articles, dialogue, books, texts, etc.)

Verse is a collection of lines that follow a HIGHLY STRUCTURED regular, rhythmic pattern

Verse by Shakespeare

The beginning of each line is capitalized

The lines do not utilize a full margin (shorter) - because they are determined by syllable count

They are written in a specific structured rhythm called iambic pentameter

Shakespeare used verse to:

1. Express deep emotion requiring elevated language

2. Make wise, penetrating, reflective, organized observations requiring lofty language

3. Present a lyrical poem in a separate entity

4. Inject irony by use of a particular character

Syllables

Syllable: unit of spoken language consisting of an uninterrupted utterance that forms a whole word (cat) or a commonly recognized division of a word (per-fect-ly)

How many syllables?

chair beg apple lunch

computer bizarre hope eat

book capitulate alligator resume

Russell disdainful monitor crate

university justify principal puppy

Honors Syllable Poems Telephone Number Poems: Use a 7 digit telephone number to write

a poem about what the number represents to you. Use each number in the poem to represent the number of syllables in each line.  

Regular Syllable Poems

Haiku: Haikus are Japanese poems about nature or natural experiences. They are very structured according to syllables. Follow the format below to write a haiku about some aspect of nature.

Line one: 5 syllables Line two: 7 syllables Line three: 5 syllables

Literary Foot Foot: basic unit of meter, set # of

strong and light stressed syllables Example: an iamb is one type of foot Iamb: is a light/strong pattern of two

syllables Example: Detroit

– de (light: symbol = u) - TROIT (STRONG: symbol = /) ->

– De (u) - TROIT (/)

Meter

Meter: # of feet in a line of verse Examples: Pentameter is an example

of meter Pentameter: the prefix penta means

five - there are five feet in a line of pentameter

Rhythm Rhythm: the combination of foot and

meter in a line of verse Example: Iambic Pentemeter is a type

of rhythm Iambic Pentameter: is one line of verse

consisting of five light/strong syllables in a row (10 total)

Example: We(u) hold(/) these(u) truths(/) to(u) be(/) self(u) ev(/)-i(u)-dent(/)– Stress the strong syllables (deTROIT)!

Shakespearian Sonnets

Shakespeare wrote over 150 sonnets

They are named by their number “Sonnet 18”

They have 14 lines and four parts – 3 quatrains (4 lines): present a problem– 1 rhyming couplet (2 lines) : present a

solution

Shakespearian Sonnets ctd.

They all use the verse iambic pentameter

They have a distinct rhyme scheme: pattern of the rhymes between the last words of each line– ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG (all matching

letters must rhyme)

Get to Work!

ALL: Complete the study guide on “Sonnet 18”

HONORS: Write your own sonnet. Be sure to follow all of the rules about BOTH form (physical) and structure (content) of sonnets.

REGULAR: Paraphrase “Sonnet 18” into your own form (physical) and structure (words)