Shakespeare’s 116thSonnet
Pre-writing
Read the passage closely and analyze its details. Write notes and ideas in order to prepare you for the formal essay. Your pre-writing responses do not need to be in complete sentences.
Identify the subject of the sonnet
Consider the sonnets structure
Note the sonnets diction and imagery
Identify the sonnets tone (What is the speaker’s attitude toward the subject?)
Consider the speaker’s philosophical stand
You do not need to submit your pre-writing.
Based on your pre-writing, write and submit an essay:
Shakespeare illustrates his own understanding of love in the sonnet above. What is Shakespeare’s definition of love? Use your pre-writing response to support your ideas in the essay. Be careful. You do not want to make your essay a summary of the work or a personal narrative of your own. You may include your personal insights and you may refer to other literary works, but the focus should be on the ideas and experiences as suggested by Shakespeare’s sonnet.
In your formal essay, please:
refer to the author and title of the work early in the essay
assume that your audience is educated and that they have not read the sonnet
present a clear thesis
choose an organizational plan appropriate to your ideas
include aspects of the sonnet identified in your prewriting as support
include concrete supporting details( i.e., literary concepts and specific references to the text)
cite each quotation and paraphrase using MLA Style
