Slide 1
Shakespeare’s Sonnets
Here is another example: How many words are in a Shakespearean sonnet? Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets. Here are two samples of his sonnets:
Sonnet 63
Against my love shall be as I am now
With Time's injurious hand crushed and o'erworn,
When hours have drained his blood and filled his brow
With lines and wrinkles, when his youthful morn
Hath travelled on to age's steepy night,
And all those beauties whereof now he's king
Are vanishing, or vanished out of sight,
Stealing away the treasure of his spring:
For such a time do I now fortify
Against confounding age's cruel knife,
That he shall never cut from memory
My sweet love's beauty, though my lover's life.
His beauty shall in these black lines be seen,
And they shall live, and he in them still green.
(end of sonnet)
Sonnet 85
My tongue-tied muse in manners holds her still,
While comments of your praise richly compiled,
Reserve their character with golden quill,
And precious phrase by all the Muses filed.
I think good thoughts, whilst other write good words,
And like unlettered clerk still cry Amen,
To every hymn that able spirit affords,
In polished form of well refined pen.
Hearing you praised, I say 'tis so, 'tis true,
And to the most of praise add something more,
But that is in my thought, whose love to you
(Though words come hindmost) holds his rank before,
Then others, for the breath of words respect,
Me for my dumb thoughts, speaking in effect.
(end of sonnet)
Slide 2
Count the number of words in each sonnet.
Sonnet 63
Against my love shall be as I am now
With Time's injurious hand crushed and o'erworn,
When hours have drained his blood and filled his brow
With lines and wrinkles, when his youthful morn
Hath travelled on to age's steepy night,
And all those beauties whereof now he's king
Are vanishing, or vanished out of sight,
Stealing away the treasure of his spring:
For such a time do I now fortify
Against confounding age's cruel knife,
That he shall never cut from memory
My sweet love's beauty, though my lover's life.
His beauty shall in these black lines be seen,
And they shall live, and he in them still green.
(end of sonnet)
Sonnet 85
My tongue-tied muse in manners holds her still,
While comments of your praise richly compiled,
Reserve their character with golden quill,
And precious phrase by all the Muses filed.
I think good thoughts, whilst other write good words,
And like unlettered clerk still cry Amen,
To every hymn that able spirit affords,
In polished form of well refined pen.
Hearing you praised, I say 'tis so, 'tis true,
And to the most of praise add something more,
But that is in my thought, whose love to you
(Though words come hindmost) holds his rank before,
Then others, for the breath of words respect,
Me for my dumb thoughts, speaking in effect.
(end of sonnet)
Type your answers in the blanks.
Description of work area: Below the sonnets are two blanks. The number of words for Sonnet 63 is to be written in the first blank. The number of words for Sonnet 85 is to be written in the second blank.
Correct answers: For Sonnet 63, there are 110 words. For Sonnet 85, there are 111 words.
Slide 3
Sonnet 63: 110 Words
Sonnet 85: 111 Words
Sonnet 63
Against my love shall be as I am now
With Time's injurious hand crushed and o'erworn,
When hours have drained his blood and filled his brow
With lines and wrinkles, when his youthful morn
Hath travelled on to age's steepy night,
And all those beauties whereof now he's king
Are vanishing, or vanished out of sight,
Stealing away the treasure of his spring:
For such a time do I now fortify
Against confounding age's cruel knife,
That he shall never cut from memory
My sweet love's beauty, though my lover's life.
His beauty shall in these black lines be seen,
And they shall live, and he in them still green.
(end of sonnet)
Sonnet 85
My tongue-tied muse in manners holds her still,
While comments of your praise richly compiled,
Reserve their character with golden quill,
And precious phrase by all the Muses filed.
I think good thoughts, whilst other write good words,
And like unlettered clerk still cry Amen,
To every hymn that able spirit affords,
In polished form of well refined pen.
Hearing you praised, I say 'tis so, 'tis true,
And to the most of praise add something more,
But that is in my thought, whose love to you
(Though words come hindmost) holds his rank before,
Then others, for the breath of words respect,
Me for my dumb thoughts, speaking in effect.
(end of sonnet)
What is the mean (or average) number of words in these two sonnets?
Description of work area:
There is one blank to enter in the mean (average) number of words for the two sonnets.
Correct answer: 110.5
Question 3 of 6
Slide 4
Sonnet 63: 110 Words
Sonnet 85: 111 Words
Sonnet 63
Against my love shall be as I am now
With Time's injurious hand crushed and o'erworn,
When hours have drained his blood and filled his brow
With lines and wrinkles, when his youthful morn
Hath travelled on to age's steepy night,
And all those beauties whereof now he's king
Are vanishing, or vanished out of sight,
Stealing away the treasure of his spring:
For such a time do I now fortify
Against confounding age's cruel knife,
That he shall never cut from memory
My sweet love's beauty, though my lover's life.
His beauty shall in these black lines be seen,
And they shall live, and he in them still green.
(end of sonnet)
Sonnet 85
My tongue-tied muse in manners holds her still,
While comments of your praise richly compiled,
Reserve their character with golden quill,
And precious phrase by all the Muses filed.
I think good thoughts, whilst other write good words,
And like unlettered clerk still cry Amen,
To every hymn that able spirit affords,
In polished form of well refined pen.
Hearing you praised, I say 'tis so, 'tis true,
And to the most of praise add something more,
But that is in my thought, whose love to you
(Though words come hindmost) holds his rank before,
Then others, for the breath of words respect,
Me for my dumb thoughts, speaking in effect.
(end of sonnet)
If you were to check another sonnet, how many words do you think the sonnet would have?
Description of work area: There is one blank to enter in the prediction.
Correct answer: 110 or 111
Slide 5
Here are two more sonnet samples.
Sonnet 121
'Tis better to be vile than vile esteemed,
When not to be, receives reproach of being,
And the just pleasure lost, which is so deemed,
Not by our feeling, but by others' seeing.
For why should others' false adulterate eyes
Give salutation to my sportive blood?
Or on my frailties why are frailer spies,
Which in their wills count bad what I think good?
No, I am that I am, and they that level
At my abuses, reckon up their own,
I may be straight though they themselves be bevel;
By their rank thoughts, my deeds must not be shown
Unless this general evil they maintain,
All men are bad and in their badness reign.
(end of sonnet)
Sonnet 38
How can my muse want subject to invent
While thou dost breathe that pour'st into my verse,
Thine own sweet argument, too excellent,
For every vulgar paper to rehearse?
O give thy self the thanks if aught in me,
Worthy perusal stand against thy sight,
For who's so dumb that cannot write to thee,
When thou thy self dost give invention light?
Be thou the tenth Muse, ten times more in worth
Than those old nine which rhymers invocate,
And he that calls on thee, let him bring forth
Eternal numbers to outlive long date.
If my slight muse do please these curious days,
The pain be mine, but thine shall be the praise.
(end of sonnet)
Slide 6
Count the number of words in each sonnet.
Sonnet 121
'Tis better to be vile than vile esteemed,
When not to be, receives reproach of being,
And the just pleasure lost, which is so deemed,
Not by our feeling, but by others' seeing.
For why should others' false adulterate eyes
Give salutation to my sportive blood?
Or on my frailties why are frailer spies,
Which in their wills count bad what I think good?
No, I am that I am, and they that level
At my abuses, reckon up their own,
I may be straight though they themselves be bevel;
By their rank thoughts, my deeds must not be shown
Unless this general evil they maintain,
All men are bad and in their badness reign.
(end of sonnet)
Sonnet 38
How can my muse want subject to invent
While thou dost breathe that pour'st into my verse,
Thine own sweet argument, too excellent,
For every vulgar paper to rehearse?
O give thy self the thanks if aught in me,
Worthy perusal stand against thy sight,
For who's so dumb that cannot write to thee,
When thou thy self dost give invention light?
Be thou the tenth Muse, ten times more in worth
Than those old nine which rhymers invocate,
And he that calls on thee, let him bring forth
Eternal numbers to outlive long date.
If my slight muse do please these curious days,
The pain be mine, but thine shall be the praise.
(end of sonnet)
Type your answers in the blanks.
Description of work area: Two blanks appear. Enter the number of words in Sonnet 121 in the first blank, and enter the number of words in Sonnet 38 in the second blank.
Correct answers: Sonnet 121: 115 Sonnet 38: 114
Slide 7:
Sonnet 121: 115 words Sonnet 38: 114 words
Sonnet 121
'Tis better to be vile than vile esteemed,
When not to be, receives reproach of being,
And the just pleasure lost, which is so deemed,
Not by our feeling, but by others' seeing.
For why should others' false adulterate eyes
Give salutation to my sportive blood?
Or on my frailties why are frailer spies,
Which in their wills count bad what I think good?
No, I am that I am, and they that level
At my abuses, reckon up their own,
I may be straight though they themselves be bevel;
By their rank thoughts, my deeds must not be shown
Unless this general evil they maintain,
All men are bad and in their badness reign.
(end of sonnet)
Sonnet 38
How can my muse want subject to invent
While thou dost breathe that pour'st into my verse,
Thine own sweet argument, too excellent,
For every vulgar paper to rehearse?
O give thy self the thanks if aught in me,
Worthy perusal stand against thy sight,
For who's so dumb that cannot write to thee,
When thou thy self dost give invention light?
Be thou the tenth Muse, ten times more in worth
Than those old nine which rhymers invocate,
And he that calls on thee, let him bring forth
Eternal numbers to outlive long date.
If my slight muse do please these curious days,
The pain be mine, but thine shall be the praise.
(end of sonnet)
What is the mean (or average) number of words in these two sonnets?
Description of work area: A blank appears for entering in the mean (average) number of words for the two sonnets.
Correct answer: 114.5
Slide 8
Sonnet 121: 115 words Sonnet 38: 114 words
Sonnet 121
'Tis better to be vile than vile esteemed,
When not to be, receives reproach of being,
And the just pleasure lost, which is so deemed,
Not by our feeling, but by others' seeing.
For why should others' false adulterate eyes
Give salutation to my sportive blood?
Or on my frailties why are frailer spies,
Which in their wills count bad what I think good?
No, I am that I am, and they that level
At my abuses, reckon up their own,
I may be straight though they themselves be bevel;
By their rank thoughts, my deeds must not be shown
Unless this general evil they maintain,
All men are bad and in their badness reign.
(end of sonnet)
Sonnet 38
How can my muse want subject to invent
While thou dost breathe that pour'st into my verse,
Thine own sweet argument, too excellent,
For every vulgar paper to rehearse?
O give thy self the thanks if aught in me,
Worthy perusal stand against thy sight,
For who's so dumb that cannot write to thee,
When thou thy self dost give invention light?
Be thou the tenth Muse, ten times more in worth
Than those old nine which rhymers invocate,
And he that calls on thee, let him bring forth
Eternal numbers to outlive long date.
If my slight muse do please these curious days,
The pain be mine, but thine shall be the praise.
(end of sonnet)
If you were to check another sonnet, how many words do you think the sonnet would have?
Description of work area: A blank appears for entering in the prediction.
Correct answer: 110 or 115
Slide 9:
Sonnet 13 and Sonnet 44 have 112 and 117 words respectively. This averages to 114.5.
Sonnet 144 and Sonnet 32 have 113 and 114 words respectively. This averages to 113.5.
Sonnet 127 and Sonnet 6 have 111 and 110 words respectively. This averages to 110.5
This dot plot shows the average sonnet length from each sample studied in this activity.
Description of graph:
A dot plot is shown. The horizontal axis is labeled “Mean (Average) Sonnet Length”. It is numbered from 110 to 115, counting in increments of one. The vertical axis is labeled ‘Frequency”. There are two dots above 110.5, one dot above 113.5, and two dots above 114.5
(text on slide) The random samples of Shakespeare’s sonnets are helping us determine the unknown average length of a Shakespearean sonnet. It is difficult to tell from our few random samples what the average sonnet length is.
Slide 10:
Here are the results from more samples. Note that each random sample was the mean (or average) of two sonnets.
Description of graph:
A dot plot is shown. The horizontal axis is labeled “Mean (Average) Sonnet Length”. It is numbered from 110 to 115, counting in increments of one. The vertical axis is labeled ‘Frequency”. There are two dots above 110.5, one dot above 111, one dot above 111.5, one dot above 112.5, one dot above 113, two dots above 113.5, three dots above 114, two dots above 114.5, and two dots above 115.
(text on slide) Notice the cluster of points around 114. From these samples, we can begin to conclude that the mean (or average) Shakespearean sonnet is about 114 words long. More samples will need to be taken to approach the true mean sonnet length.
Description of animation: A blue circle appears in the dot plot to circle the seven points that are above 113.5, 114,and 114.5 combined.
Slide 11
You have finished this part of the activity. Return to the main activity to continue.