Shakespeare’s Language Tricks

 Because Shakespeare wrote nearly 400 years ago, the way he writes presents problems for modern readers.  Most of Shakespeare’s play lines are actually written in poetry verse.

 Although they don’t usually rhyme, they do have a set rhythm called METER (or flow) 

Rhythm = Meter = Flow!

 To achieve flow/rhythm in the play, Shakespeare manipulates syllables.



Syllable = 1 sound unit

How many syllables are in these words?



Rainbow Creation Sam Happy

Words are arranged in the play so that some of the syllables are stressed (said more loudly) than other syllables and put into a pattern.

 Here’s the pattern: 

dah DUM dah DUM dah DUM dah DUM

 Here’s how we write it on paper: 

U I U I U I U I U I

dah DUM dah DUM dah DUM dah DUM dah DUM

  How many total syllables is this?

In Shakespeare’s plays,

2 syllables (

U I

) is called an iamb

* What does 1 iamb sound like?

Example: this is 1 poetic line of the play

Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,

    Count out the meter (the beat) = dah DUM Mark the syllables = number them below each sound unit Label each iamb =

U I

How many IAMBS are there in each line?

 This pattern of 5 iambs for each line of Shakespeare’s plays is called Iambic Pentameter

5 iambs = iambic penta meter

Iambic Pentameter Rap

Meter

 Meter refers to the pattern of syllables in a line of poetry. The most basic unit of measure in a poem is the syllable and the pattern of syllables in a line, from stressed to unstressed or vice versa. This is the meter. Syllables are paired two and three at a time, depending on the stresses in the sentence.

Foot

 Two syllables together, or three if it’s a three-syllable construction, is known as a foot. So in a line of poetry the cow would be considered one foot. Because when you say the words, the is unstressed and cow is stressed, it can be represented as da DUM. An unstressed/stressed foot is known as an iamb. That’s where the term iambic comes from.

Pentameter

  Pentameter is simply penta, which means 5, meters. So a line of poetry written in pentameter has 5 feet, or 5 sets of stressed and unstressed syllables. In basic iambic pentameter, a line would have 5 feet of iambs, which is an unstressed and then a stressed syllable. For example: If you would put the key inside the lock  This line has 5 feet, so it’s written in pentameter. And the stressing pattern is all iambs:

if YOU | would PUT | the KEY | inSIDE | the LOCK da DUM | da DUM | da DUM | da DUM | da DUM

Hip-Hop

 Much of Hip Hop and Rap just also happens to be in Iambic Pentameter. While "Lose Yourself" is not all iambic Pentameter - the first verse certainly is.

        His PALMS are SWEATy, KNEES weak, ARMS are HEAVy There's VOmit ON his SWEATer alREADy, mom's spaGHETTi He's NERVous, but ON the SURFace he LOOKS calm and READy To DROP BOMBS, but HE keeps ON forGETtin What HE wrote DOWN, the WHOLE crowd GOES so LOUD He OPens his MOUTH, BUT the WORDS won't come OUT He's CHOKin, how EVeryBODy's JOKin NOW The CLOCK'S run OUT, TIME'S up OVer, BLOah!

Eminem

Extra Credit Opportunity

    Turn in (on paper or in an e-mail) no later than the end of the school day January 30, song lyrics (at least 8 lines) that are written in iambic pentameter. Identify the stressed and unstressed syllables in each line. You can use an already published song, or you can write your own words/poem in iambic pentameter. Make sure it is clean – DO NOT turn in lyrics with profanity. Change the word to something else that fits if need be.

5 Tricks to decoding Shakespeare:



Trick #1: do the Yoda!

 Turn your words around a bit 

A gloomy peace this morning with it brings.

 This morning brings a gloomy peace with it.

Trick #2: Omissions

 In order to fit the iambic pentameter pattern, words are sometimes shortened by omitting letters.

   o’er  ‘tis  ‘twas 

over it is it was

Trick #3: Rare Words

 Shakespeare used words that we no longer use to refer to people. They still exist, but usually you only see them in church hymn books and the Bible.

Translate these words: thou= you thine= your, yours thee= you, to you thyself= yourself

Trick #4: Rare Verbs

 Shakespeare used verb endings that we no longer use. They still exist, but usually you only see them in church hymn books and the Bible.

Translate these words: hath= has art= are



Trick #5: Extinct Words

Some words and phrases we no longer use at all!

Translate:  Anon= soon •soft= hush  Prithee= pray to thee  mark= pay attention to, notice  Good-den= Good day  Still= always •nice= stupid •Jack= any guy  Hap= luck  Happy= lucky  Maid= girl/lady  Stay= wait

Shakespeare & Sonnets

What is a sonnet?

     14 line rhymed poem.

3 quatrains, 1 couplet Specific

rhyme scheme

Written in iambic pentameter Usually has a “turn.”

Iambic Pentameter

    An “iamb” is made up of two syllables, one stressed, one unstressed. * ex. To

strive

/ to

seek

/ to

find

/

and

not

/ to

yield

Pentameter means that the line has five iambs per line, in other words, ten syllables.

The rhythm sounds like: da Dum da Dum da Dum da Dum da Dum “When I do count the clock that tells the time” 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0

Shakespearean Sonnet

 Shakespeare created a new form of the sonnet by creating a new rhyme scheme and structure:  Three quatrains with a couplet at the end.   Quatrain: 4 lined stanza.

Couplet

: 2 lines, usually rhymed.

The “Turn”

  Most sonnets have a

turn

– a point in the poem where the poem changes.

In the Shakespearean sonnet, the three quatrains are setting up a sort of question, which is answered in the couplet at the end.

EXAMPLE SONNET…….

 NEXT SLIDE

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of everyday's Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways . I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace .

I love thee to the level of everyday's Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight . I love thee freely, as men strive for Right ; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise .

I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose , I shall but love thee better after death .

a b b a a b b a c d c d c d

Do you get it??

Lets’s view another example sonnet…….

Lets Practice this together!

 Look at Sonnet 18 in your notes  As you read each line, label it according to what we have just learned.

 (HINT= pay attention to the last word of each line!)

Sonnet 18

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate: 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, And often is his gold complexion dimmed, And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimmed. But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st, Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st. So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Sonnet 18

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day ?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate : 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 , And often is his gold complexion dimmed , And every fair from fair sometime declines , By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimmed . d But thy eternal summer shall not fade , e Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st , Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade , f e When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st . So long as men can breathe or eyes can see , So long lives this, and this gives life to thee . f g g a b a b c d c

HOMEWORK:

 Label

Sonnet 130

on your own

Homework

     Return Parent Newsletter by Jan. 28/29 for a grade Extra Credit Iambic Pentameter Assignment due Jan. 30. No work will be accepted after that date! You may hand in or e-mail before the end of the school day. Web Quests 1&2 – turned in today or before Jan. 30. Must be handed in by the end of the school day on that date. Finish rhyme scheme analysis of Sonnet 130 Be sure to organize your binders (you are required to have a 3-ring binder) with items in the correct order (demonstrated on back wall)