Shakespearean Language and Sonnets Worksheet

Question 1

Translate this line into modern English: "Wherefore art thou Romeo?" Explain the meaning of the word "wherefore" in this line.

Accepted Answer

The line means, "Why are you Romeo?" In this line, "wherefore" means "why," not "where." Juliet is asking why Romeo must be a member of the rival Montague family.

Question 2

Match each Shakespearean pronoun to its modern meaning: thou, thee, thy, thine.

Accepted Answer

Thou means "you" as a subject. Thee means "you" as an object. Thy means "your" before a noun. Thine means "yours" or "your" before a word that begins with a vowel sound.

Question 3

Rewrite this sentence in standard modern word order: "So long lives this, and this gives life to thee."

Accepted Answer

A modern version is, "As long as this poem lives, it gives life to you." The sentence means that the poem will preserve the beloved's memory.

Question 4

Describe the structure of a Shakespearean sonnet. Include the number of lines, the main sections, and the usual rhyme scheme.

Accepted Answer

A Shakespearean sonnet has 14 lines. It is usually divided into three quatrains and a final couplet. Its usual rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.

Question 5

Label the rhyme scheme of these lines from Sonnet 18: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? / Thou art more lovely and more temperate: / Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, / And summer's lease hath all too short a date."

Accepted Answer

The rhyme scheme is ABAB. "Day" rhymes with "May," and "temperate" rhymes with "date."

Question 6

Paraphrase these lines in modern English: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? / Thou art more lovely and more temperate."

Accepted Answer

The speaker is saying, "Should I compare you to a summer day? You are more beautiful and more gentle than summer."

Question 7

Identify the meter usually used in Shakespearean sonnets. Then explain what the pattern means.

Accepted Answer

Shakespearean sonnets are usually written in iambic pentameter. This means each line has five iambs, and each iamb usually has an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.

Question 8

Count the syllables in this line and explain how it fits iambic pentameter: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"

Accepted Answer

The line has 10 syllables: Shall I compare thee to a summer's day. It fits iambic pentameter because it can be read as five pairs of syllables, moving mostly from unstressed to stressed beats.

Question 9

Explain the meaning of the term "volta" in a sonnet. Where does the volta often appear in a Shakespearean sonnet?

Accepted Answer

A volta is a turn or shift in the poem's thought, tone, or argument. In a Shakespearean sonnet, it often appears near the final couplet, although a shift can also begin earlier.

Question 10

Analyze the personification in this line from Sonnet 18: "Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May." What is being described, and how does the wording affect the image?

Accepted Answer

The line describes strong winds damaging delicate spring flowers. The phrase "darling buds" makes the flowers seem precious and vulnerable, which emphasizes that nature and beauty can be fragile.

Question 11

Explain the theme in these lines from Sonnet 18: "So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, / So long lives this, and this gives life to thee."

Accepted Answer

The theme is that poetry can preserve beauty and memory beyond ordinary human life. The speaker claims that as long as people read the poem, the beloved will continue to live through it.

Question 12

Write an original Shakespearean-style couplet about time, beauty, love, or memory. Use two rhyming lines and then explain the idea of your couplet.

Accepted Answer

One possible answer is, "Though winter steals the roses from the tree, / My words shall keep thy summer close to me." This couplet uses rhyme and expresses the idea that writing can preserve beauty and memory.

Shakespearean Language and Sonnets

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