Sundai
M. Riggins
English Teacher
Plays and Scenes Covered:
Shakespeare’s Sonnets
Note: This activity can be used with most of
Shakespeare’s Sonnets. For starters, try
Sonnet #18. This one works well with
this exercise.
NCTE Standards Covered:
1, 2,
3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8,
9, 10, 11,
12, 13, 14, 15
What’s On
and Why?
Sonnets include rich
figurative language that is characteristic of Shakespeare’s writing style, yet
can be difficult for students to visualize and decode. By allowing students to picture the vivid
imagery and translate it into actual art, it can facilitate the decoding
process and allow students to get an understanding of the poetic language
through tangible representations.
What To
Do:
1) Distribute copies of the sonnet or various copies of
the different sonnets you will discuss in your class.
2) Tell students to answer the following questions after
reading their sonnet:
What
words / images stand out as you read?
What
feeling does Shakespeare seem to convey throughout the poem?
How
does this sonnet make you feel?
What
specific words / images are used? List
them.
For
each of the words / images identified, think of a tangible object to associate
with each word / image.
Think
about the overall theme of this poem.
How would this influence its visual representation?
3) Distribute large posterboards
or pieces of drawing paper. Have
students divide
the
papers in half and create a box for each line of the sonnet. They can use the back if necessary. Have students write each line of the sonnet
under the picture box. Then tell them to
think about the images they brainstormed on earlier and used them to help
create each picture box. Remind them
that it is not a comic strip, so they should not have and narration / dialogue
in any of the picture boxes.
4) Allow volunteers or each student, if time permits, to
read their sonnet and share \
their
work. An additional assessment of the
student’s understanding and interpretation of the sonnet could be demonstrated
by a one page summary of their artistic / design choices.
How Did It Go?
If students were able to
visualize their sonnet and develop interesting images in their picture boxes,
this lesson was successful. Because the
sonnets are short and are not a part of a central story, without a close
reading of the language and imagery of the sonnet, students might find
difficulty gaining a clear vision of the imagery and language used. The picture boxes should help the student
interpret the sonnet and illustrate it in their own way, reflecting their
imaginative and interpretative skills.