Rework a poem they composed previously into a sonnet.Ideas for students who are ready to follow the structural requirements of the sonnet, but may be at a loss for words: If they need prompts they might write about their feelings toward the end of the school year or the beginning of a new chapter in their education. For those who are ready, ask them to write an original sonnet in any of the forms on a topic of their choice. Once students feel comfortable with the basics of the sonnet structure it is time to write.

Shakespearean: Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare.Spenserian: The Amoretti, a cycle of 89 sonnets by Edmund Spenser.Petrarchan: When I Consider How My Light is Spent by John Milton.A good beginning guide to sonnets is the Poetry Foundation article вЂњ Learning the Sonnet.вЂќ If you have not already worked with sonnets this year you might begin by reading an example of each of these structure types and working as a class or in small groups to examine the rhyme scheme and meter of the poems. I teach my students about three types of sonnets: Petrarchan, Shakespearean, and Spenserian. Why not end your year of poetry with a sonnet challenge?Д«ecause of their fixed structure, sonnets can be one of the most difficult, yet satisfying, types of poems to compose. Holl from the print by Houbraken By this time of the year, you might have just a few school days left or have weeks until your students leave for the summer or to begin the next stage of their lives.

Sonnet examples by students