William Shakespeare

and Iambic Pentameter

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William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare's works are the second most quoted after
only the Bible. However, very little is known about his early life
other than he grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon in England and he
had 5 brothers and sisters. When he turned eighteen he married
his wife, Anne Hathaway. They had three children, a daughter
named Susanna and twins named Hamnet and Judith.

Eventually, he moved his family to London where William began

to work at the theater. He was a part of Lord Chamberlain's Men
which was an acting group who worked together to put on plays.
Shakespeare worked as an actor and as a playwright for Lord
Chamberlain's company. His early plays included Romeo and
Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Taming of the
Shrew. His success in the theatre, as well as his investments in
land and the Globe, made Shakespeare a wealthy man. He
purchased a large home in Stratford for his family called New
Place.

Shakespeare wasn't only famous for his plays, though. He was

also quite the renowned poet. Most of his poems were sonnets. In
1609 a book of 154 sonnets written by Shakespeare was published.
Shakespeare also became famous for his poetry. His most famous
poem of the time was Venus and Adonis. He also wrote poems
called sonnets. A book of 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets was
published in 1609. Eventually, Shakespeare ritired to his home in
Stratford and died in 1616. His legacy lives on though and a great
many people consider him the greatest writer of the English
language.

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Works of Shakespeare
Most often Shakespeare's plays are divided into three categories. Color each
Shakespearean genre book and add the title of one of his most famous plays
from each category on the lines in the book.

History

Comedy

Tragedy

Romeo & Juliet A Midsummer's Night

Dream
Henry VIII
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Shakespearean Language
Sometimes reading Shakespeare's works can feel confusing,
because he uses lots of words that we don't use in modern
English. However, there are modern versions of each of the
words that Shakespeare uses. Here's a key that will help you
better understand and read Shakespeare's works.

Thee/ Thou You

Thy Your
Thine Mine
Art Are
Dost Do
Woulds't Would
Ne'er Never
Hast Has
Hast Has
Shalt Shall
Hap Happen
Wilt Will

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Shakespearean Language
Fill in the correct modern word in each of these sentences.

1. ( ____________ ) Thou hast ( ____________ ) done me wrong.

2. Shall I compare thee ( ____________ ) to a summer's day?

3. Thou art ( ____________ ) more lovely and more temperate.

4. And having thee ( ____________ ) , of all men’s pride I boast;

the anguish that I do.

5. But from thine ( ____________ ) eyes my knowledge I derive,

6. And for a woman wert ( ____________ ) thou ( ____________ ) first

created,

6. And do whate'er thou ( ____________ ) wilt ( ____________ ) , swift-

footed time,

7. Ah, if thou ( ____________ ) issueless shalt ( ____________ )

hap ( ____________ ) to die,

8. For I must ne'er ( ____________ ) love him whom

thou ( ____________ ) dost ( _______ ) hate.

10. Thou ( _________ ) art ( ________ ) thy ( ________ ) mother’s glass,

and she in thee ( _____ )

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Sonnets
A sonnet is a type of poem that was created during the
Renaissance and has fourteen lines in it. Some of the
most famous sonnets are written by Shakespeare. In a
Shakespearean sonnet it has a specific rhyme scheme.
Which means there is a pattern at the end of each line.
Shakespeare rhymed the first and third lines and the
second and fourth lines. Within each set of four lines,
which is a quatrain. The last two lines are a couplet
which is a pair of rhyming lines. Many different poets
use the sonnet form in their poetry, but use different
rhyme schemes.

So Shakespeare's rhyme scheme looks like this:

abab
cdcd
efef
gg

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Sonnets
Read Sonnet 18 below and pay attention to the rhyme scheme that has
been color coded as well as the quatrains which have been numbered.

Sonnet 18
1 Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
2 Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
3 Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
4 And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
1 Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
2 And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
3 And every fair from fair sometime declines,
4 By chance or nature’s changing course untrimmed.
1 But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
2 Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,
3 Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade,
4 When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st.
1 So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
2 So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

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Sonnets
Below is Shakespeare's Sonnet 104 read it carefully and number the lines in
each quatrain and in the couplet. Then find the rhyme scheme and color
the rhyme scheme within each quatrain.

Sonnet 104
To me, fair friend, you never can be old,

For as you were, when first your eye I ey’d,

Such seems your beauty still. Three winters cold

Have from the forests shook three summers’ pride,

Three beauteous springs to yellow autumn turn’d

In process of the seasons have I seen,

Three April perfumes in three hot Junes burn’d,

Since first I saw you fresh, which yet are green.

Ah! yet doth beauty, like a dial-hand,

Steal from his figure and no pace perceiv’d;

So your sweet hue, which methinks still doth stand,

Hath motion and mine eye may be deceiv’d:

For fear of which, hear this, thou age unbred;

Ere you were born, was beauty’s summer dead.

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 Iambic Pentameter 
Syllable
A syllable is part of a word pronounced as a unit. It is usually
made up of a vowel alone or a vowel with one or more consonants.
The word syllable has three syllables: sy-lla-ble

What is Iambic Pentameter?

Iambic Pentameter is the rhythm in which a poem can be written.
An Iamb is simply a grouping of two syllables together. The first
syllable soft and the second syllable hard. Meter is the pattern
of syllables in each line. So, pentameter is a line of poetry with
five Iambs in it. Which means each line in Iambic Pentameter is
ten syllables.

Think of it like your heartbeat.

da-DUM | da-DUM |da-DUM | da-DUM | da-DUM |

Or think of it like footsteps.

soft HARD | soft HARD | soft HARD | soft HARD | soft HARD|

Or balloons floating in a line.

bal LOON | bal LOON | bal LOON | bal LOON | bal LOON |

Or sing "We're off to see the wizard. The wonderful wizard of Oz...."
be CAUSE | be CAUSE | be CAUSE | be CAUSE | be CAUSE |

Just remember...
The syllable pattern can be two one syllable words. Such as, you
KNOW. Or a two syllable word with the emphasis on the second
syllable. Such as, because or balloon.
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Iambic Pentameter
Sonnet 25 is below. The first quatrain has been marked to separate the
iambs. Finish marking the iambs within the poem. Go back and number the
lines in each quatrain and in the couplet. Then find the rhyme scheme and
color the rhyme scheme within each quatrain.

Sonnet 25

Let those / who are / in fa / vor with / their stars

Of pub / lic ho / nor and / proud ti / tles boast,

Whilst I, / whom for / tune of / such tri / umph bars,

Unlooked / for joy / in that / I ho / nor most.

Great princes' favorites their fair leaves spread

But as the marigold at the sun’s eye,

And in themselves their pride lies burièd,

For at a frown they in their glory die.

The painful warrior famousèd for worth,

After a thousand victories once foiled,

Is from the book of honor razèd quite,

And all the rest forgot for which he toiled.

Then happy I that love and am belovèd

Where I may not remove nor be removèd.

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The Quill is Yours...
Create two quatrains and a couplet using iambic pentameter. You might not
get the right rhythm or number of syllables at first, but look at it again and
think about rephrasing your thoughts and using different words to write your
poem.

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

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The Quill is Yours...
A half a sonnet is a good way to get started, but here's enough lines to write
an entire fourteen line sonnet. Use the markers to help keep count of
syllables.

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________

_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________/_______________
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Sonnet Madness
For each blank fill in a word that is the right part of speech and the right
amount of syllables. Then proceed to the next page for a bit of fun.

1. Noun (1 syllable): ______________

2. Noun (1 syllable): ______________
3. Body Part (1 syllable): ______________
4. Verb (2 syllables): ______________
5. Adjective (2 syllables): ______________
6. Noun (1 syllable): ______________
7. Distance (1 syllable): ______________
8. Adjective (2 syllables): ______________
9. Body Part (2 syllables): ______________
10. Adjective (1 syllable): ______________
11. Possesive Noun (1 syllable): ______________
12. One of the 5 senses (1 syllable): ______________
13. Verb (2 syllables): ______________
14. Noun (2 syllables): ______________
15. Color (1 syllable): ______________
16. Body Part (1 syllable): ______________
17. Plural Noun (1 syllable): ______________
18. Noun (2 syllables): ______________

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Sonnet Madness
Use the words from the page above to fill in the blanks within this
sonnet and then read your very own custom sonnet.

Weary with __________, I haste me to my _______,

Noun Noun

The dear repose for _______ with travail tired;

Body Part

But then __________ a journey in my _________

Verb Adjective

To work my ________, when body’s work’s expired.

Noun

For then my thoughts, from __________ where I abide,

Distance

Intend a ____________ pilgrimage to thee,

Adjective

And keep my drooping ___________ open wide, Body Part

Looking on darkness which the __________ do see.

Adjective

Save that my ____________ imaginary ___________

Possessive Noun One of 5 senses

____________ thy shadow to my sightless view,

Verb

Which, like a jewel hung in _________ night, Noun

Makes _________ night beauteous, and her old _______ new.

Color Body Part

Lo thus by day my _________, by night my mind,

Plural Nout

For thee, and for myself, no _________ find.

Nout

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Vocabulary

Quatrain - Four line verse within a poem

Meter - Pattern of syllables within each line of a poem.

Syllable - Part of a word that is pronounced like a unit.

Iamb - Grouping of two syllables.

Sonnet - A type of poem with 14 lines.

Pentameter - Line of a poem with ten syllables.

Couplet - Pair of rhyming lines.

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 Vocabulary 
Fill in the vocabulary road onto the line next to the defition of each word.

quatrain iamb pentameter

syllable
sonnet Iambic meter

_____________ - Four line verse.

_____________- A poem of fourteen lines

_____________ - Pattern of syllables within each line of a poem

_____________ - Two line rhyming verse

_____________ - Part of a word that is pronouced like a unit.

_____________ - Line of a poem with ten syllables

_____________ - Four line verse.

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Thank you for downloading this Shakespeare and
Iambic Pentameter Workbook from
EverdayGracesHomeschool.com.

The activity book is designed to bring a little fun

while exploring Shakespeare and Iambic
Pentameter.

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activity book. Feel free to leave pictures and
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