This Lesson's Title:

How Do I Love Sonnets...

exploring sentence fluency and word choice by creating sonnets

This lesson was created by Northern Nevada Writing Project Teacher Consultant
Amie Newberry.

This on-line writing prompt is based on the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Before writing to this assignment, students should hear and discuss the poetry of this great poet.

Click here to learn more about this poet.

If you are a Washoe County teacher, click here to search for a collection of works by this poet that you can check out from the county library.

Three-Sentence Overview of this Lesson:

“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…” is an expression that has inspired lovers for generations. Using the sonnet by Browning that it comes from (as well as throwing in some Shakespeare and contemporary poets), students will be inspired to play with the 14-line form to create their own unique sonnets. Discovering the meter and rhyme embedded in a sonnet, students will understand the power and magic that comes from choosing just the right word to make a poetic sentence flow. Teachers: click here to read the entire lesson plan.

6-Trait Overview for this Lesson:

The focus trait for this writing assignment is sentence fluency; by learning sonnet structure and impersonating style, students will learn how to create flow and fluency with their words within the sonnet parameters. The support trait for this assignment is word choice; students will be able to explore how powerful a sonnet can be by changing and altering their word choices.