On Oct. 20 and 21, AP English IV classes held a Coffeehouse Poetry event, where seniors had the opportunity to dress up as beatniks and present their poetry projects that featured a sonnet of their choice in front of the class.

For the project, students picked a sonnet of their choice and provided their own analysis in a booklet. Besides the analyses of literary devices, sound devices, and tone, students researched their respective poet’s background, picked a corresponding poem or song, and decorated their booklet covers to match the motifs and theme of their poems.

“I’ve had plenty of presentations in class before over projects we’ve done,” Chloe Troupe ‘16 said. “But the whole concept of a coffeehouse was really awesome, since it pretty much turned something that almost everybody hates doing into something that wasn’t that bad and even kind of fun.”

Sonnets are a form of poetry that William Shakespeare, Robert Frost, and many other famous poets used, and are characterized by a format of 14 lines and a rhyme scheme..  While many people are more familiar with romance sonnets, war sonnets and sonnets about sonnets are also very popular. Perhaps the most famous sonnet of all time is “Sonnet 18,” by Shakespeare, although many people know the line “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” more than the actual title of the poem.

“Poetry really isn’t my favorite, but there was something about sonnets that made me interested,” Sierra Richardson ‘16 said. “I like the fact that they can fit so much emotional influence into fourteen lines with such strict guidelines.”

Some writers fear their rigid format, and some readers are put off by the restrictions, but some students appreciate the careful effort required to write an effective sonnet.

“I have gained an entirely new understanding and appreciation for the craft and meticulousness that goes into sonnet-writing!” Ashley Gonzales ‘16 said. “Fourteen lines is a limited medium for the image one wants to paint with their words, and those who can do it are truly gifted.”