As I calculate in an earlier post, your sonnet imitation and sonnet recitation are individually 1.8% of your course grade—3.6% in total. They are certainly an important part of your class grade, but be careful about letting either assignment eat up your time over the next week: Essay 1 alone is 6.1% of your final grade and Vocab quizzes 1 (Monday) and 2 (Friday) add up to 8.3%.
Sonnet recitations
You are welcome to recite any of the sonnets, including those we have talked about in lecture or discussion. You will get three chances to recite the sonnet.
For the full 15 points, you must recite the sonnet without error and at least in a speaking voice. Theatrical recitations are more than welcome, and I reserve the right to give 1 or 2 bonus points for artistically impressive recitations.
You will lose 1 point per error in your recitation—missing a word, most commonly, but also things like switching the order of words. You will lose 1 point if your recitation is a little bit too robotic.
I have definitely had the same experience Larry has had with these recitations: about half of them are absolutely perfect on the first go and the other half never make it above the 10-point mark. If you start memorizing your sonnet early—today or tomorrow—and if you spend 15 minutes on it every day between now and July 3rd it is unlikely that you will get fewer than 14 points.
Sonnet imitations
These are trickier. Here are my grading criteria:
- 4 points: appropriate subject
- 4 points: exact iambic pentameter
- 4 points: exact ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyming
- 3 points: wordplay, double meanings, puns, etc.
In the past, students have lost the most points replicating exact iambic pentameter. If this is something you are concerned about, draft your sonnet right away and show me a draft. I will be more than happy to talk to you about issues of meter.
If you are interested in a little bit of inspiration for your modern sonnets, here are some links to sonnets by Marilyn Hacker, my favorite living sonneteer.
Tags: 2009, Grading, Sonnets, William Shakespeare
