Indicating Stress Patterns

Worksheet Description

This worksheet features Shakespeare’s Sonnet 12 and provides instructions for students to read the poem and mark the stress pattern of each syllable using symbols for stressed ( / ) and unstressed ( x ) syllables. The purpose of the exercise is to practice scansion, a technique used to identify the meter of a poem, which in this case is likely to be iambic pentameter, a common meter in Shakespeare’s sonnets. The poem itself contemplates the passage of time and its inevitable effects on nature and human beauty.

The worksheet teaches students about the rhythm and meter of poetry, specifically the iambic pentameter used in Shakespeare’s sonnets. By marking the stressed and unstressed syllables, students learn to analyze the poem’s metrical pattern, which enhances their understanding of poetic form and Shakespearean language. This exercise also encourages a deeper reading of the text, allowing students to engage with the thematic elements of the sonnet as they consider how the meter reflects the poem’s mood and message. It’s an interactive way to combine literary analysis with the study of poetic form.