Task 19: Valentine's Day SONNET

Right.

Most of you are pretty clear on iambic meter, and so you shouldn't find this task as difficult as you did last time.

Some of you are still struggling with iambs, though, and I will be in my office the whole of lunchtime on Monday 4th Feb to explain it to you in person, in case any of you need that extra helping hand.

Of those of you pretty confident with iambs, some of you are still ending iambic lines with an anapest: remember that just because a three syllable word STARTS with a stressed syllable does not NECESSARILY mean that the third syllable is stressed too - so be CAREFUL.

Now, to remind you of the rules of sonnet writing I would like you to follow:

1. Length: 14 lines
2. Meter: iambic pentameter (i.e. 5 beats, 10 syllables, starts with an unstressed syllable, ends with a stressed one etc.) - dee-DUM dee-DUM dee-DUM dee-DUM dee-DUM
   
3. Rhyme scheme: ababcdcdefefgg
4. Structure: Octave (first 8 lines) should mark a slight change of theme/mood to the Sestet (last 6 lines)
5. Topic: LOVE (but it doesn't have to be soppy or saccharine, unless you want it to be)
6. Deadline: midnight on Saturday 9th February
   

Now try to make these PERFECT, and keep redrafting until you have managed perfection. If you all do really well on this task, we will leave poetry for several months and get working on some dramatic monologues with Task 20.

Lastly, you are welcome to post more than one if you have the time and inclination.

Oh, and anyone who misses the deadline from now on, without prior permission from me, is out of the workshop with immediate effect - and will not be allowed on the upcoming theatre trip either. (I'm not being nasty; I'm being firm!)

Good luck!

P.S. I shall post my attempt separately...