How to Write a Shakespearean Sonnet

Although modern poetry does not have to take any rigid form, many people still like the structure and music of rhymed verse. If you are new to writing rhymed poetry, the Shakespearean, or English Sonnet is a great place to start. It has a very intuitive and natural rhythm, but is structured enough to give your poetry some direction and focus.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pen
• Paper
• Dictionary
• Thesaurus
• Poetry books

1. Familiarize yourself with the structure of the Shakespearean sonnet. Shakespearean sonnets consist of three quatrains, or groups of 4 lines, and a final couplet, or pair of rhymed lines. The rhyme structure is A-B-A-B C-D-C-D E-F-E-F G-G. So for example, if the first line ends with "boat," the third line might end with "float."

2. Familiarize yourself with the poetic meter of Shakespearean sonnets. Shakespearean lines are written in what is called iambic pentameter. An iamb is a metric foot (i.e. unit) of poetry consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one. "Pentameter" means that there are 5 iambs in each line.

3. Read a lot of English sonnets. Shakespearean sonnets are named after Shakespeare because he is the most famous and most accomplished author of this form of poetry, but he is not the only one worth reading!

4. Write down your reactions to the sonnets. Think about the meter, rhyme scheme, subject, flow and anything else that catches your eye.

5. Go back to your notes. What Shakespearean sonnets captured your interest? You could borrow a theme from one of your favorite poems, take off from where it ended, or even write a reaction to it.

6. Begin to write your poem. Don't worry about making every line exact. Imperfect rhymes and slight irregularities in the meter are nothing to be worried about. This is a first draft, after all!

7. Read your poem aloud. This is a crucial step whenever you are writing poetry. Reading out loud to yourself will help you hear what parts sound good, and what could use a revision.

8. Revise your Shakespearean poem. Feel free to use a Thesaurus to help find the perfect word.

Tips & Warnings

• Write about what inspires you. A sonnet does not have to be about true love. It can be about your best friend, your hobby, or what you had for breakfast if you want!
• Don't be too hard on yourself if your first poem doesn't turn out perfectly. The more you practice, the better you will get at writing poetry.

Resources

• Good article about sonnets with links.
• Free online Shakespeare library.