i got it....now

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“The sonnet (from the Italian word for “little song”) is a LYRIC poem, written in a single STANZA that usually consists of fourteen lines of IAMBIC PENTAMETER.” (Hamilton 231)

I thought I should write about sonnets because we have just finished writing our own and I was not very good at them. I like writing Shakespearean sonnets. “The Shakespearean sonnet: three QUATRAINS and a final COUPLET, which rhyme abab cdcd efef gg.” (231) I had a tough time writing sonnets. I think it was because I was worried about the lines being ten syllables and followed the rhyme scheme. I didn’t pay attention to iambic pentameter.

I’ll be honest; I couldn’t understand stressed and unstressed syllables. That made it very difficult to write a sonnet. I think going over it in class a couple times and hearing what unstressed and stressed sounds like really helped. I had an idea of what I wanted to write about in my head. I just didn’t know how to make it fit the pattern. I spent a long time fixing my sonnets, but this time I focused on iambic pentameter before the rhyme scheme. I would say the line out loud (which I’m sure everyone on my floor enjoyed). It took me a while, but I think I understand a little better now.

4 Comments

Maddie Gillespie said:

I had, and still have, a bit of trepidation when attempting to write sonnets. I know I'm not very good at them because I had all of the same troubles that you listed above as yourself having. Iambic pentameter with stressed and unstressed syllables sent me for one funky loop around the bend. I'm glad that you took the initiative and time to go back over your sonnets and try to make them into official Shakespearian sonnets. That takes dedication. Congrats on your sonnets and can ya maybe pass a bit o' your luck with 'em over my way? ; )

Katie Vann said:

I have trouble with the stressed and unstressed syllables too. I was glad on Friday when Dr. Jerz made the commpliment on your sonnet revisions. You worked so hard on those to get them just right. I'm with Maddie, any sonnet advice you can give I'm willing to take!

Kaitlin Monier said:

Writing sonnets with stressed and unstressed syllables is hard, and I think it takes a lot of practice. I also think that even if someone is a master sonnet writer, they still struggle sometimes with the syllables

Stephanie Wytovich said:

I too, shared a lot of the same difficulties. Sonnets were a challenge for me, and even now I continually struggle with them. I, like you struggled with the stressed and unstressed syllables, as well as teh iambic pentameter line formation. What I really liked about our sonnet exercises was the ability to see our improvement as we continued to write them. The first time, I really struggled writing a sonnet, and it took me several hours. The next few times around, I adapted quicker and I found the process to be a lot easier. I'm not saying that the poetry became easy for me, because it definitely did not, but I felt an easier word flow in my future writings.

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Stephanie Wytovich on i got it....now: I too, shared a lot of the sam
Kaitlin Monier on i got it....now: Writing sonnets with stressed
Katie Vann on i got it....now: I have trouble with the stress
Maddie Gillespie on i got it....now: I had, and still have, a bit o