Step-by-Step Sonnet Analysis

This page outlines the initial steps for analyzing a Shakespeare sonnet, providing a methodical approach to understanding and interpreting the poem.

The first step involves an initial reading to gain a general sense of the sonnet's content. This is followed by a more detailed study, which includes making annotations and identifying key words.

Highlight: Concentrate on your first impression and identify the topic/subject of the sonnet.

The guide emphasizes the importance of recognizing stylistic devices and understanding the form and rhythm of the sonnet. Most lines in a Shakespearean sonnet follow iambic pentameter.

Vocabulary: Iambic pentameter is a metrical line in poetry consisting of five iambs (an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable).

The page also provides a comprehensive list of stylistic devices commonly found in Shakespeare's sonnets, including:

Example: Alliteration (e.g., "false forgeries"), anaphora, antithesis (e.g., "Fair is foul and foul is fair"), metaphor, parallelism, simile, and rhetorical questions.

Each stylistic device is accompanied by a brief definition and example, helping readers identify and understand these elements in the context of sonnet analysis.

Definition: A rhetorical question is a question asked for effect, not expecting an answer. It helps to enrich the poetic effect and underline conflict or heighten the intensity of feeling.