Shakespeare's Sonnets: Crash Course Literature 304

The video explores Shakespeare's sonnets, focusing on their structure, themes, and historical context. It analyzes three specific sonnets: Sonnet 18, Sonnet 116, and Sonnet 130, highlighting their unique features and interpretations. The video also discusses the controversies surrounding the sonnets, including their publication and the identities of the figures mentioned within them. It concludes with a reflection on the enduring nature of poetry compared to human life.

What is the rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet?

• ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

• AABB CCDD EEFF GG

• ABBA CDDC EFFE GG

• ABAB BABA CDCD EE

What is iambic pentameter?

• A line with ten syllables, alternating stressed and unstressed

• A line with ten syllables, all unstressed

• A line with eight syllables, all stressed

• A line with twelve syllables, alternating stressed and unstressed

Who is believed to have published Shakespeare's sonnets in 1609?

• John Keats

• Mr. WH

• William Shakespeare

• Thomas Thorpe

What is the main theme of Sonnet 18?

• The fleeting nature of beauty

• The immortality of poetry

• The beauty of summer

• The unpredictability of love

In Sonnet 18, what does the poet claim will last forever?

• The young man's memory

• The poet's life

• The beloved's beauty

• The summer's day

What is the central idea of Sonnet 116?

• Love is eternal and unchanging

• Love is a game of chance

• Love is temporary and fleeting

• Love is a reflection of beauty

In Sonnet 116, what does Shakespeare suggest about true love?

• It is a temporary feeling

• It is easily altered

• It transcends time

• It is subject to time

What is the tone of Sonnet 130?

• Romantic and idealistic

• Melancholic and somber

• Angry and resentful

• Realistic and humorous

How does Sonnet 130 differ from traditional sonnets?

• It focuses on nature

• It realistically describes the beloved

• It uses a different rhyme scheme

• It exaggerates the beloved's beauty

What does Shakespeare criticize in Sonnet 130?

• The immortality of poetry

• The unpredictability of love

• The fleeting nature of beauty

• The unrealistic comparisons in love poetry