Before Reading
Preview Organizational Features
Read about Shakespearean sonnets in Literary Tools on page 318 of your textbook. Note the key parts of Shakespearean sonnets, three quatrains and a rhyming couplet, and how these parts build upon a theme. Keep these things in mind as you read the selections.
During Reading
Use Text Organization as You Read
1. Listen as your teacher reads the first four lines of Sonnet 18 aloud. Write down the main idea of the first quatrain. Listen to the other two quatrains and the couplet and write down the main ideas of these parts.
2. Read the next two sonnets on your own. Write down the main idea of each quatrain and couplet.
Fix-Up Idea: Refocus on Couplets
The couplet, or final two lines, in a Shakespearean sonnet often highlight the meaning of the sonnet. If you are having trouble understanding the sonnets, try refocusing on the couplet. Think about what couplet means. Then reread the sonnet keeping this idea in mind.
After Reading
Discuss Your Experience
With a partner, talk about the main ideas you identified. Identify the theme of each poem.