Lesson video

Hello there and welcome to lesson two of introduction to sonnets.

And today we're going to be looking specifically at the features of a Shakespearean sonnet.

So you'll need your pen and paper.

Hopefully you've got your notes from last lesson although don't panic, if you hadn't and of course you'll need your brain switched on as well.

And remember, if you've got anything that might pop up on the screen of your device or anything that may disturb you, try and turn those off too, find a quiet spot and off we go.

Okay, so we're ready to go.

Now, as I just said, a moment ago, you should have these things ready your pen, and your paper, and your brain.

And if you have got the notes from last lesson that would be great, but we can sort it out if you haven't, so do not panic.

So what we focusing on today? So we're going to be working our way through the different features of a Shakespearean sonnet.

And as you can see on the screen, we've got the lines, we're going to look at how many there are, the rhyme scheme, quatrains and rhyming couplets, do not panic if you don't know what those are yet because you will soon.

A volta, again, if you don't know what voltas are, don't worry, you will by the end of the lesson.

And then of course your quiz, to make sure that you have a full understanding of what you have learned today.

If you think back to last lesson, we were focusing on several different points about the history of sonnets, and we zoomed in on three in particular.

Now, can you possibly remember what they were, or maybe if you're really sensible, you actually kept your notes from last lesson and you still got them written down.

If you haven't, don't worry here's a little reminder for you.

We've got two pictures here of some people that were very important and influential in the world of sonnets.

So, if you want to take a moment, have a little think what were those three points that we noted down about the history of sonnets? Pause the video here and think.

Can you remember what those three points were then? Well, here they are.

Let's reread these points again, in case you haven't gotten them anymore.

If you have, brilliant, if you haven't, then you should pause the video once I've read through them and write them down again.

Sonnets are traditionally about love but can be about many other subjects too.

Sonnets originated in Italy in the 13th century.

Petrarchan and Shakespearian sonnets have some differences in structure and rhyme scheme.

So if you haven't got those written down pause the video and write them down now.

If you still got them from last lesson, brilliant, let's continue.

Now that we've recapped the history of sonnets, we're now going to move on to the features of Shakespearean experience on it in particular.

And I am so excited about this because we are going to read through and work on one of my absolute favourite sonnets.

So, I really can't wait and I hope that you really like it too when we get to look at it in more detail towards the end of the lesson.

So excited, but before we go any further, I'd like you to now write down a subheading so that we can keep up with all the features of a Shakespearean sonnet that we're going to write down today.

So pause the video, write the subheading down and then when you're ready unpause and we'll continue.

So here's the slide from the end of lesson one showing us the features labelled in the sonnet, in sonnet 130.

So we have 14 lines, then the rhyme scheme, then our three quatrains and finally the rhyming couplets.

And we'll work through each one of those today, one by one, find out what they are, and make sure that we fully understand them.

Our first feature then, the number of lines.

So here's sonnet 130 again, if you pause the video now, you can count through the lines and see how many you think that are.

How many did you get then? Let's label them, 14 in total.

Now this is the number of lines that there will always be in any sonnet, not just Shakespearean in ones in fact, all sonnets have 14 lines.

And that's the simplest feature of all so that's why we're starting with the line numbers.

So first of all, 14 lines go into making art sonnet structure.

So I'd like you to now start adding these features to your list with the subheading that you started earlier on with the features of Shakespearean sonnet.

So pause the video, and add 14 lines in length as your first feature.

Okay, good job, let's carry on.

So the rhyme scheme, now this is a bit more complicated and will take a little bit longer to understand but don't worry, let's work through it together.

So what is a rhyme scheme? Do you know? Are you sure? I'm sure you know the word rhyme, and if you do know what it is, do you actually know how to label one? So let's have a look at how we do that.

So starting off with what a rhyme scheme actually is.

So a rhyme scheme is the pattern according to which the end rhymes.

So those are the words at the end of the lines are repeated in a poem.

So when looking at the end word, the last word in each line.

Now rhyme schemes are described using letters of the alphabet, and that always begins with the letter A because that is the first letter of the alphabet.

And if the end rhyme of the line is the same as the previous line, it is then labelled with that same letter.

If it does not rhyme with any previous lines it is labelled with the next letter in the alphabet.

Now, that may sound quite complicated so it will become much clearer if we actually work our way through an example, so let's do that.

How to label a rhyme scheme.

Now, remember we're focusing on the end rhyme, so that is the last word in each line.

And just to make that little bit easier I put them in bold here.

So ignore the rest of the line for now, let's just focus on those last words.

So we've got sun, red, dun and head.

So we always start with line one and we label that with A because it's the first letter of the alphabet.

So sun is going to be labelled with A.

Now moving on to line two, we've got the word red.

Now does red rhyme with sun? Hopefully you realise no, it doesn't rhyme with sun so we need to label it with a new letter.

We won't label it with A, because it doesn't rhyme.

So the next letter in the alphabet that we haven't used yet is B.

So we're labelling red with B.

Now onto line three, so this time we've got the word, dun, now does dun rhyme with either sun or red? You got it? Dun rhymes with sun.

So we label it with the same letter, which in this case is A, so now we have A, B, A.

On to line four, does the word has head rhyme with sun and dun or red? It does indeed rhyme with red, so I'm sure you've guessed it we're going to label it with B.

So we've got A, B, A, B sun and dun, red and head that's on the rhyme scheme so far labelled nice and clearly.

So let's take a look at the next group of lines.

We've just done lines one to four, now let's look at lines five to eight.

So that's lines one to four, done already A, B, A, B.

We've got the word white, so does white rhyme with sun and dun or red and head? Oh, neither does it? So I'm sure you figured it out by now that means we need to label it with the next letter that we haven't used yet which is the letter C.

So now we have A, B, A, B and then C a new rhyme.

So the next line cheeks, does that rhyme with anything previously, sun, dun, red, head or white? No, it doesn't, so we label it with the next unused letter, which is D.

Now delight, does that rhyme with sun and head? Sorry, sun and dun, red and head, white or cheeks? So delight, that rhymes with white, so we label it with a C the same as white.

And finally reeks, does that rhyme with sun dun, red, head, white delight or cheeks? That's right, it rhymes with cheeks.

So we labelled it with D.

And we've got our rhyme scheme clearly labelled lines one to eight, A, B, A, B, C, D, C, D.

Okay, so moving onto the next section of the poem lines nine to 12.

So what letters would you use to label lines nine to 12? So I'd like you to actually pause the video, and have a go at doing this by yourself now.

So if you go.

Okay, let's see whether or not you got it correct.

This is what you should have ended up with E, F, E, F.

As know doesn't rhyme with any of the previous words, any of the previous end rhymes so you'd label it with the next letter which is E and sound is exactly the same, it doesn't rhyme with anything previously so the next one is left with the F, but then go does rhyme with know, so that becomes a E as well, and then ground does rhyme with sounds that becomes F.

So now we have A, B, A, B, C, D, C, D, E, F, E, F, are you starting to see a pattern? Well, I hope you've been paying close attention because now I want you to have a go at labelling the final lines, 13 and 14 all by yourself.

Okay, pause the video and have a go.

Let's see, did you get it right? So we have rare and compare.

Now you surely noticed neither rare nor compare rhyme with any of the previous words.

So the next letter in the alphabet that we hadn't used was G so it should be labelled with G, rare should be labelled with G and then compare obviously rhymes with red so you end up with another G.

Slightly different pattern there to the previous rhyme scheme, the rest of the poem.

So I hope you got that right, and I hope you notice that there's that pattern at the end of there with two rhyming and rhymes, two lines rhyming together, whereas previously, it was every other line rhyming.

Now, there might be a reason for that that will come too soon.

Okay, so this is what we've got now, we've already done 14 lines in length and now we've just gone through the rhyme scheme.

So we can add this to our list of features of Shakespearian sonnet.

So pause the video and add this, A, B, A, B, C, D, C, D, E, F, E, F, G, G rhyme scheme.

Pause the video and at that now.

Okay, moving on to our next feature, quatrains and the rhyming couplets.

Now you may already know what they mean, you may not, but we'll go through it together just in case.

And just before we do, we need to have a very brief vocabulary chat because if you don't know what this word stanza means, then you're going to get a little confused.

I'm sure you already know that stanza means a verse of a poem, so a section of a poem.

You may have called it a verse when you were younger, but now it's best to give it its proper name which is stanza.

So if for any reason you weren't sure of that you can always pause the video now and it down as well.

So make sure you know what stanza means.

Okay, moving on to our next features then, rhyming couplets, and quatrains.

If you are feeling a little bit unsure about what a quatrain or a couplet might be, then try looking at the words and seeing what you can recognise within the words.

So quatrain, what word does that look a bit like and couplet, what word does that remind you of and what numbers would you associate them with? So I'm hoping that you thought quatrain looks a bit like quarter, makes you think of four.

And then couplet will couple is always two, isn't it? So perhaps that has given you a clue now as to how these link to the sonnet itself.

So here we are back with sonnet 130, and these are the features that we've looked at so far.

So 14 lines, we know there's always 14 lines in a sonnet and Shakespearean sonnets as well.

The rhyme scheme, which is A, B, A, B, C, D, C, D, E, F, E, F, G, G.

Now, take a look at that rhyme scheme, can you see any patterns emerging there? Can you see any way you could actually divide this up into stanzas in a way that would make sense? And perhaps there's some kind of repeating pattern here.

So if you look, we could actually divide the poem up, divide the sonnet up into three sections here of AB, AB, CD, CD, and EF, EF, giving us three, four line stances.

And because they are four lines, it makes them quatrains.

And then I'm sure you're going to guess what I'm going to say next, at the bottom where you've got the two lines by themselves, well, that's our rhyming couplets because they are two lines with rhyming end rhymes.

So therefore they are rhyming couplet two.

So now you can see where the quatrains and the rhyming couplets are.

So here we go, look how many features we've got through zooming through this.

So you can now add quatrains and a rhyming couplet into your list of features.

So pause the video, and add this to your list of features, unpause when you're ready to continue.

So here we are with our final feature for today's lesson which is a volta V, O, L, T, A.

Do not worry if you're not quite sure what that means, it basically means a turn or a change and that turn or change could be an idea, it could be a feeling.

It just means that something is changing within the poem and the sonnet itself.

And that particular change always happens in the same place in Shakespearian sonnets.

So, let's go back to the sonnet itself, have a look at it and see if we can figure out where that change takes place.

So here we have wonderful sonnet 130 in its entirety, and I've just labelled where the three quatrains and the rhyming couplets are.

And we're going to take a look at each of these sections.

So each quatrain in turn, and then the rhyming couplets and actually find out what's going on because we hadn't really focused at all on the actual content of the sonnet yet and it's such a wonderful sonnet, such a beautiful poem.

So let's take a look at it, and once we've done that, we might be able to figure out a little bit more easily where the volta occurs.

So, quatrain one, the first quatrain lines one to four, my mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.

Now Shakespeare isn't being especially complimentary here, is he? Saying that his mistress' eyes are not like the sun, the coral is much redder than her lips, and that the white snow, while that's very white compared to her dull skin, her dull breasts, and that her hairs are wirerey.

This is not very complimentary, is it? So let's see what the next quatrain is about.

So this is quatrain, the second quatrain lines five to eight.

I have seen roses damasked, red and white, but no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight than in the breath of from my mistress reeks.

I don't know if I'd be very happy if my boyfriend was saying these things about me, saying that she hasn't got rosy cheeks and that her breath reeks, her breath is smelly.

Oh, this isn't great, is it? So again, in the second quatrain, Shakespeare is not being very nice at all.

So the third quatrain, lines nine to 12.

I love to hear her speak, yet well I know that music have a far more pleasing sound; I grant, I never saw her goddess go my mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.

So again, Shakespeare presenting his lover here is very ordinary, very normal, you know, she walks on the ground, she's not floating around on high like a goddess and that her voice is not musical.

Music is much more pleasing than her voice.

So for those three quatrains, he really hasn't been very nice.

So that brings us to the rhyming couplet lines, 13 and 14.

And yet, by heaven, I think my love is rare as any she belied with false compare.

That's more like it, isn't it? Finally Shakespeare seeing something nice here, so saying that his love is rare, that it's unique, that it's special and that there isn't anything better, nothing compared to it can be better as there's the best kind of realistic love that there is.

It's very grounded and it's actually suddenly become very romantic, hasn't it? After a rather large section of the poem being not so complimentary.

Okay, so let's take a look at it all in one go.

So those first three quatrains.

In all three quatrains, Shakespeare compares his lover to a series of beautiful things saying that she is not as beautiful as any of them.

A bit harsh, I think.

And this suggests that she is not very attractive or that he doesn't think she's very attractive.

However, in the rhyming couplet, Shakespeare says that, although his lover is not traditionally beautiful, their love is still real and valuable.

And suddenly it becomes rather lovely.

So I'm sure you can see now where the change occurs in this sonnet, and therefore that's where our volta will occur.

So pause the video now, have a look where do you think that is? Okay, am sure you figured it out, there's our volta, between lines 12 and 13 because the message and the thoughts in the poem change.

We go from that rather unpleasant description of Shakespeare's love her saying that, she really isn't that beautiful, she's really not that great compared to all those lovely things however, just after the end of line 12 and into the beginning of line 13, Shakespeare goes on to say that despite all of this she's wonderful and our love is true and it's real.

And suddenly it becomes a really lovely poem.

Okay, so finally here we are, all of our features are now coming together.

So you can pause the video again and at this final feature, the volta occurs between lines 12 and 13.

So pause the video, come back when you are ready.

Well done everybody, I can't believe how much we've got through today, just look at all of those features that we've been looking at, 14 lines, rhyme scheme, three quatrains, rhyming couplets, and a volta.

All of those features covered in one lesson, that's incredible, so well done.

Now, there is just one feature left to go through which we'll be looking at in lesson three.

So be sensible, keep hold of those notes from today's lesson.

Make sure you don't let those go astray and then that will save you a lot of time in lesson three.

So just one thing left to do then it's time for your quiz, I hope you enjoy the quiz, I hope you enjoyed the lesson too and I can't wait to see you for lesson three, take care.