Assignment task: Sonnet Analysis of "Sonnet 18" by William Shakespeare
SUBJECT: What is the subject of the sonnet?
SPEAKER: Who is the speaker of the sonnet?
AUDIENCE: Who is the speaker speaking to and why?
CONNOTATION: Examine the poem for meaning beyond the literal. Look for figurative language, imagery, and sound elements such as rhyme, and how these things contribute to the meaning, the tone, or both.
ATTITUDE/TONE: Notice the speaker's tone and attitude. How does this tone contribute to the theme and purpose of the sonnet?
TURN: At what point in the sonnet does the turn (volta) take place? Why? How does this turn change the meaning or tone of the sonnet?
THEME: Briefly state in your own words what the poem is about (subject), then what the poet is saying about the subject (theme). The theme is the message the author is trying to teach the reader about humanity or human nature