Before Reading
Preview Organizational Features
Read about Petrarchan sonnets in Literary Tools on page 288 of your textbook. Note the key parts of a Petrarchan sonnet, the octave and the sestet, and the typical theme of a sorrowful male and an unattainable female. Keep these things in mind as you read the selection.
During Reading
Use Text Organization as You Read
1. Listen as your teacher reads the octave, or first eight lines. What is the main idea of this section of the poem? Write your idea down in your notebook.
2. Read the sestet on your own. What is the main idea of this section of the poem? Write your idea down in your notebook. Read the poem as a whole. What is the theme of the poem?
Fix-Up Idea: Read Aloud/Think Aloud
Read aloud and think aloud about this poem with a partner. Read the first two lines. What does the speaker know? How does he feel? What questions do you have based on these lines? Have your partner read the next two lines. Stop and think aloud again. Keep alternating lines, stopping to think aloud every time you come to a period. Then read the entire poem silently.
After Reading
Discuss Your Experience
With a partner, talk about the main ideas you identified. How are the messages of the octave and the sestet related? How can you use text organization when reading other Petrarchan sonnets?