Things You'll Need:
- Pen
- Paper
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Step 1
Decide who you are writing your poem to. Are you just writing it for yourself? Or are you writing it to give to another person? If you're writing it to give to your wife, girlfriend or significant other, you're going to want to spend a lot of time perfecting it.
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Step 2
Pick a subject. Think of who you are writing to, and that may make it easier to pick something to write about. Ask yourself what that person's interests, hope or dreams are.
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Step 3
Memorize the form of a sonnet before you start writing. There are four lines to a sonnet; three quatrains and a couplet at the end. Your first line will rhyme with your third line, your second with the fourth, and so on, so tht the format looks like this: ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG. The two last lines, known as the couplet, will rhyme with each other.
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Step 4
Write your sonnet in iambic pentameter, which is the meter, rhyme and rhythm pattern used in every Shakespearean Sonnet. You can find a thorough explanation of iambic pentameter by following the link in the Tips section of this article.
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Step 5
Read over your sonnet several times. The first draft often needs revision. Have someone else read it for you, unless you don't feel comfortable sharing a private poem with anyone other than the intended recipient.
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Step 6
Give your sonnet to the intended recipient.
