The sonnet is a very famous form of poetry, most often associated with William Shakespeare. A sonnet consists of three quatrains and a rhymed couplet - fourteen lines total. The rhyme scheme is ababcdcdefefgg, and there are five poetic feet (or ten syllables) per line. I have friends with English degrees who have difficulty with them, yet my intrepid freshmen not only read them and analyzed them, but they wrote them as well. It's not every ninth grade English class that can boast such talented bards - especially when they are constrained by such specific "measurements." I was thrilled beyond belief with the efforts of my students and I hope you enjoy these works as much as I do.
Out of His Favor
Out of his favor where I am in love
Two people, we're destined to be apart
This fragile love's not ordained from above
It is very slowly breaking my heart
To star-crossed lovers from ones point of view
Wishing the same feelings lived in your heart
Who thought my heart's happiness rests with you
I can't win your love by nature or art
A rose by any other name is sweet
But the garden gate is still locked to me
A beauteous love lying at you feet
But your cold heart is deaf to my heart's plea
I can see now we're not destined by fate
Too early seen unknown and known too late
~Cherie T.
(Teacher's Note: If you look closely, you'll see how well Cherie integrated quotes and themes from Romeo and Juliet into her work. I am very proud of her and impressed with this work - which was created in class in about an hour.)
A Bug's Life
I met a ladybug that loved to hug,
So, I aquiesced to her sweet request,
I also met a Slug that had a mug,
He drank more coffee than all of the rest!
The Bees in the hives make honey all day,
And then here comes Pooh to give it to you!
While the Doodlebugs live under the hay,
They wish and wish they could see the blue-wue!
But the meanest of all are the Ants,
They lie and steal and one-hundred times more!
The Butterflies are so blithe when they dance,
And they look celestial as they soar!
So, as you can see, this is a bug's day,
You see them most in the middle of May!
~Devon F.
(Teacher's Note: Devon receives extral brownie-points from me for her creative - and correct - use of our SAT level vocabulary words, three of them to be exact! Way to go, Devon!)
Sergio
The man I love is a cute, Latin king
My man is as cute as a nice red rose
I wish he would buy me another ring
My boyfriend, Sergio, gave me a rose
So I gave him a sweet kiss on the lips
And he takes me out every Friday night
My 'Vato' has nice, beautiful, curved hips
I melt every time that he is in sight
One day soon we will be husband and wife
We want a baby named Alexis
And he will love me for the rest of my life
And we'll plan to live in Austin, Texas
So, as you can see, my baby and me
Will be in love for all eternity
~Diana R.
Love
Love is for a person with a good heart
You will know when you find your perfect love
You will go dashing at her like a dart
To you she will look like a full grown dove
I love my family much more than ever
Family is a lovely part of my life
My family means so much I would never
Stab them like one of those kids with a knife
I love all my friends just like my family
They take care of me if my kin's not there
We are all branches of our family tree
If I do something wrong they always care
Love is a beautiful think you cherish
When you love someone you never perish
~Dustin R.
Winter
I love the winter because it's cold
Christmas is not Christmas if it is hot
All the food we have at Christmas will mold
Right after Christmas, the Christmas tree rots
I love the winter because of the snow
I like making snowmen in the front yard
The white snow will melt very, very slow
Driving on the ice in winter's hard
In the winter you have to have a drain
Everything in your yard will wash away
You have to have a drain because of rain
It did rain yesterday, but not today
I love winter, it is really the best
In the summer, the cold winter will rest
~Jason S.
War
The battle grounds are filled with violent acts
Swords slice the air, axes tear precious flesh
Men run through fields to make their attacks
Swords sweep against their mail of metal mesh
Many swords you see with a bloody tip
Find their way through human flesh seeking ways
To mark their victim with the flesh they strip
Men are severed with these finely honed blades
Deep scars are left from weapons in their hands
Disfigured men are products of this fight
Death is brought to men who fight on this land
Few will live through this bout and see the light
War is wicked and brings great sorrow
A war could wipe out all our tomorrows
~Roy R.
Out of His Favor
