Shakespeare's Sonnet Form

Shakespeare’s sonnets are written predominantly in a meter called iambic pentameter, a rhyme scheme in which each sonnet line consists of ten syllables. The syllables are divided into five pairs called iambs or iambic feet. An iamb is a metrical unit made up of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable. 

It has a strict rhyme scheme - ABAB/ CDCD/ EFEF/ GG (There are four distinct sections)

DaDUM / DaDUM / DaDUM / DaDUM / DaDUM


Sonnet Structure

There are fourteen lines in a Shakespearean sonnet. 

The first twelve lines are divided into three quatrains with four lines each. 

Each quatrain should progress the poem as follows:

1. First quatrain: This should establish the subject of the sonnet.
   Number of lines: 4. Rhyme Scheme: ABAB
   
2. Second quatrain: This should develop the sonnet’s theme.
   Number of lines: 4. Rhyme Scheme: CDCD
   
3. Third quatrain: This should round off the sonnet’s theme.
   Number of lines: 4. Rhyme Scheme: EFEF
   
4. Fourth quatrain: This should act as a conclusion to the sonnet.
   Number of lines: 2. Rhyme Scheme: GG

The rhyme scheme of the first three quatrains is abab cdcd efef. 

The couplet at the end has the rhyme scheme gg. 



(http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/sonnetstyle.html)

Personification Homework

Personification is giving human traits (qualities, feelings, action, or characteristics) to non-living objects (things, colors, qualities, or ideas).

For example: The window winked at me. The verb, wink, is a human action. A window is a non-living object.  

Homework - Find items in your house and personify them in the form of  a descriptive passage or poem. 

Due Wednesday 13th of November. 

Post below

TV Show I love or loathe

Don't forget that for the first two lessons after the half term you will be completing your last creative writing controlled assessment.

Formal Writing - What TV show do I love OR loathe (You cannot write about both)

Don't forget to use discourse markers and sequencing connectives.

Descriptive language is important. Don't forget to build imagery.

10STVX HOMEWORK SET 19TH OCTOBER

Choose ONE either from the pet peeves list looked at in class or create your own. Write two paragraphs explaining why you loathe this pet peeve and use IMAGERY to help the reader imagine why you dislike it so much.

Please post your homework below with your name.

10NPQR.2 HOMEWORK SET 19TH OCTOBER

Choose ONE either from the pet peeves list looked at in class or create your own. Write two paragraphs explaining why you loathe this pet peeve and use IMAGERY to help the reader imagine why you dislike it so much.

Please post your homework below with your name.

What is a comma splice and how can I stop doing it?

Michelle ran to the car, Brian chased the robber.

The sentence above is incorrect. 

Michelle ran to the car is a complete sentence, and Brian chased the robber is also a complete sentence. To join them with a comma, you need the word “and” or some other coordinating conjunction. If you just put a comma between them, that's an error called a comma splice or a comma fault. 

Quite simply, a comma splice is the attempt to join two independent clauses with a comma, but without a coordinator.

Let's look an example of a comma splice and how to fix it. 

Comma Splice - I got up late this morning, I didn't have time  for breakfast. 

Correction - I got up late this morning. I didn't have time for breakfast (Full stop used)

Correction - I got up late this morning; I didn't have time for breakfast (semi-colon used)

Correction - I got up late this morning, so I didn't have time for breakfast (comma and 'so')

Correction- I got up late this morning, and I didn't have time for breakfast (comma and connective)

(source: http://grammartips.homestead.com/splice.html)

Welcome to your online guide to success at GCSE English

Hi Year 10s,

This blog will provide you with access to literacy and literature information that will support what we do in lessons. The first post will focus on 'Comma Splices' which is an area that many Year 10s lose marks from in their controlled assessments. It is a difficult topic to get your head around but once you do your mark for A03 (iii) will improve dramatically.

Enjoy! If you have questions, please post comments so that I know what areas of English you need help with and can post accordingly.