AP English Lit Williams Shakespeares Sonnets Study Questions Sonnet # 29 1. s it !elie"a!le that the mere thought o# his !

elo"ed $ould $hange the speakers %hole outlook on li#e& Why or %hy not& 2. Summari'e the speakers state o# mind !e#ore the shi#t that o$$urs in line 9. (. )o% does the meaning o# the poem $hange i# the reader interprets *thee+ ,line 1-. and *thy+ ,line 1(. to re#er to /od instead o# a romanti$ lo"er& 0. 1e#ine the %ord state as it is used in this poem. )o% does this sonnet illustrate the e##e$ts o# lo"e on the human spirit& Sonnet # 112 1. What #amiliar part o# the traditional 3hristian marriage ser"i$e is e$hoed in the #irst line& 2. 4oti$e that the poem $ele!rates *the marriage o# true minds5+ not o# !odies. n a !rie# paragraph5 summari'e in your o%n %ords the nature o# this kind o# lo"e. (. What are the t%o negati"e de#initions that Shakespeare uses to des$ri!e true lo"e& 0. What t%o $omparisons does Shakespeare make in lines 6 7 8& What is the $onne$tion !et%een *an e"er9#i:ed mark+ and *the star+& 6. What $on#li$t !et%een lo"e and time is esta!lished in lines 8 7 12& Sonnet # ;( 1. )o% does the speaker portray himsel# in this sonnet& 2. What are the $ontrolling metaphors in ea$h o# the <uatrains& )o% are they related& (. )o% is a !ody like !oughs5 and ho% are !are !oughs like a ruined $hoir lo#t& 0. What happens to a #ire %hen the #uel %ood5 $oal5 et$.. !e$omes ashes& 6. )o% do you e:plain the idea e:pressed in the last t%o lines& Why %ould the lo"ed ones lo"e gro% stronger %hen he=she sees that the speaker is getting older& 2. Write a !rie# response to this sonnet in %hi$h you e:plore the relationship !et%een lo"e and aging. Sonnet # 1(1. What is the speakers attitude to%ard his mistress& s he making #un o# her& 1o the *i#>then+ $onstru$tions help you #igure out the distin$tion the speaker is making !et%een the arti#i$ial $omparisons and his real9li#e girl#riend&

2. )o% do the negati"e $onnotations o# the %ords false and belied help you to #igure out that the last t%o lines $ontain a true appraisal o# the speakers mistress& (. Paraphrase the last $ouplet. 0. )o% does the poems argument di"ide up among the three <uatrains and the $ouplet& Sonnet # 18 1. 1es$ri!e Shakespeares treatment o# the $on$ept o# lo"e in the sonnet. 2. )o% does Shakespeare use language and metaphor to present !eauty in the sonnet& (. 1o you think the speaker has !een su$$ess#ul in immortali'ing his lo"e in the %ords o# the poem& E:plain. 0. ?ry your hand at sonnet %riting !eginning %ith the #irst line@ *Shall $ompare thee to a %inters day&+