Shakespearean sonnets, also called English sonnets, have a strong writing style that can make them feel like a real challenge to readers. But they’re also a lot like a puzzle—once you figure out how the pieces fit together, the result is so satisfying! Our collection of free sonnet templates includes reference pages, as well as a comprehensive guide that walks students through choosing a theme, following the correct rhyme scheme and meter, and more.
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Shakespearean Sonnet Template Bundle Contents
Here’s what’s included in our bundle. You can use the pages separately or all together to create a complete sonnet writing unit.
How to Use Sonnet Printables with Your Students
Each of these worksheets can stand on its own, or you can use them together in one larger lesson or unit. Ideally, you could spend a few days or even a week on English songs—first analyzing Shakespeare, Spenser, and others, then having students compose their own. Here are some activities you can try using the sonnet template worksheets.
Vocab Mingle
Teaching goals such as a quatrain, the voltagain iambic pentameter is the key to helping children create their own sonnets. Try this activity to make it more fun! Cut out our completed “Sonnets: Key Terms” page to create word cards and definition cards. Give each student one card, and have them mix and match until they find the person they believe has the correct description.
Sonnet Jigsaw
Ask students to use colored pencils or highlighters to color the puzzle pieces on the second page of our set. Then, use those same colors to describe Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, discussing the different sections as you go.
Sonnets and songs
As students complete the chart on the “Theme and Format” worksheet, comparing classic sonnet themes to modern settings, ask them to also identify a modern song that matches the theme. For example, for forbidden love, they might choose Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me.”
Rhyming Beads on String
Our sonnet rhyme scheme worksheet compares the rhyme scheme of a sonnet with patterned beads on a string. Give students real beads to work with, assigning each the rhyming words to their sonnets as they write them. They can match the “words” of the beads as they write, checking their pattern as they go. This is great for visual and tactile learners!
Sonnet Gallery Walk
When your students’ sonnets are finished, hang them in the school hallway and invite other students or families to check them out. Ask writers to stop by their writing so they can answer questions or share information with visitors.
Download your free batch of Shakespearean sonnet templates now!
Grab your free set of sonnet exercises, including reference pages, a step-by-step writing guide, and a Shakespearean sonnet template for the finished work! Just enter your email details in the form on this page for instant access.
