INSTRUCTIONS Name: Read the below sonnets by William Shakespeare. A paraphrase is provided for you to better analyze these archaic texts. Then, listen to the musical interpretation of Sonnet 29 by Rufus Wainwright. Finally, watch the TedTalk entitled Hip Hop & Shakespeare by Akala, and answer the questions below. Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare Paraphrased version Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Shall I compare you to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: You are more lovely and more constant: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer's lease hath all too short a date: Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, Rough winds shake the beloved buds of May And summer is far too short: At times the sun is too hot, And often is his gold complexion dimm'd; Or often goes behind the clouds; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm'd; And everything beautiful sometime will lose its beauty, By misfortune or by nature's planned out course. But thy eternal summer shall not fade But your youth shall not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st; Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade, Nor will you lose the beauty that you possess; Nor will death claim you for his own, When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st; Because in my eternal verse you will live forever. So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this and this gives life to thee. So long as there are people on this earth, So long will this poem live on, making you immortal.
Sonnet 29 by William Shakespeare Paraphrased version When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes, When I ve fallen out of favor with fortune and men, I all alone beweep my outcast state All alone I weep over my position as a social outcast, And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries, And pray to heaven, but my cries go unheard, And look upon myself and curse my fate, And I look at myself, cursing my fate, Wishing me like to one more rich in hope, Wishing I were like one who had more hope, Featured like him, like him with friends possess'd, Desiring this man's art and that man's scope, Wishing I looked like him; wishing I were surrounded by friends, Wishing I had this man's skill and that man's freedom. With what I most enjoy contented least; I am least contented with what I used to enjoy most. Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, But, with these thoughts almost despising myself, Haply I think on thee, and then my state, I, by chance, think of you and then my melancholy Like to the lark at break of day arising Like the lark at the break of day, rises From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate; For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings That then I scorn to change my state with kings. From the dark earth and (I) sing hymns to heaven; For thinking of your love brings such happiness That then I would not change my position in life with kings.
SONNET 18 1. Read the sentence below from Sonnet 18. So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. What does the this refer to? How does this continue to give this young man life even four hundred years after Shakespeare wrote the poem? a) This refers to the summer s day b) This refers to the man s youthful beauty c) This refers to the speaker s love for the man d) This refers to the sonnet itself that allows the man to always be remembered 2. What is the meaning of temperate in line 2? a) Too hot b) Too cold c) Lukewarm d) A mild temperature 3. All of the following contain examples of personification EXCEPT: a) too hot the eye of heaven shines b) Nor shall Death brag c) So long as men can breathe or eyes can see d) And summer s lease hath all too short a date 4. What is the theme of the sonnet? a) Every season is transient nothing lasts forever b) Beauty is in the eye of the beholder c) As long as you remember someone, they never die d) Time heals all wounds 5. Compare Sonnet 18 to Sonnet 29. How do the tones differ? a) The tone of Sonnet 18 is endearing, while Sonnet 29 goes from bitter to elated b) The tone of Sonnet 18 is critical, while Sonnet 29 goes from melodramatic to calm c) The tone of Sonnet 18 is shy and sweet, while Sonnet 29 is wholly pessimistic d) Both Sonnets start off with fearful tones, but Sonnet 29 ends in a victorious tone, and Sonnet 18 becomes reflective
SONNET 29 6. In line 5 of Sonnet 29, what does the speaker wish for? a) A wife b) More hope and optimism in his life c) To be reunited with his family d) To be as wealthy as a king 7. What does the speaker compare his good mood to at the end of the sonnet? a) sunshine b) a lark c) a prayer d) money 8. What does the speaker mean when he says he trouble[s] deaf heav n with [his] bootless cries? a) He can't find his shoes and wants God s help b) God doesn t answer his prayers c) he doesn t have friends d) he s broke 9. What does the speaker mean when he says then I scorn to change my state with kings in line 14? a) The speaker believes kings are arrogant and selfish, and he s glad to be a peasant b) The speaker believes he is secretly royalty, and is trying to reclaim his rightful throne c) The speaker knows he does not have the money of a king, but he has something much more precious the love of a friend. d) The speaker is in love with the Queen Rufus Wainwright song 10. How does the Rufus Wainwright interpretation make you rethink the original sonnet? Does it affect the tone of the sonnet? Does it provide new insights into the piece? Explain your reasoning.
11. What is the theme of the sonnet? a) The grass is always greener on the other side b) If you want something, you have to work for it c) We get by with a little help from our friends d) It is safer never to get your hopes up, because then you never get disappointed 12. How does the speaker s attitude shift from the beginning to the end of the sonnet? a) The speaker goes from feeling spiritually bankrupt to spiritually wealthy b) The speaker remains solemn and dejected the entire sonnet c) The speaker remains optimistic and hopeful the entire sonnet d) The speaker goes from feeling liberated to trapped Akala TedTalk 13. Iambic pentameter is a natural rhythm, because it resembles: a) Breathing b) A heartbeat c) Ocean tides d) Sunspot activity 14. Akala suggests that the language used and the subjects spoken about, in both Shakespeare and hip-hop: a) Make it difficult to distinguish between the two. b) Make it easy to distinguish between the two. c) Are much more beautiful in Shakespeare. d) Are much more beautiful in hip-hop. 15. What was the purpose of rapping the Shakespearean sonnet? Why do you think Akala employs two styles of music to do this?