Question 11
How does Shakespeare use the sonnet form to develop his theme in “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?”
Observation
A good number of candidates attempted this question and they failed to discuss how the structural pattern of the sonnet (three quatrains and a couplet) is used to develop its theme.
Candidates were expected to discuss the following points:
- The theme of beauty in the poem.
- The description of the sonnet form in relation to the theme of the poem.
- The rhyme scheme and its contribution to the theme of the poem.
- The significance of the ideas expressed in each stanza/quatrain and how each contributes to the theme of the poem.
- The immortalisation of the subject.
Candidates’ performance was poor.