To celebrate the end of their sonnet unit, the AP English IV classes had a “coffee house” on Oct. 25 and 26. Students were encouraged to bring food and dress up as beatniks, young poets who dressed in dark clothing in the 1950s and 1960s, while presenting their sonnet projects. Students were assigned to analyze a sonnet of their choosing.

For the past three weeks, while working on their individual projects at home, students  worked on analyzing several different types of sonnets from a variety of time periods. In order to get a deeper understanding of their own poem, students were required to look at rhyme scheme, rhythm, meter, as well as other aspects such as author biographies. They also dug through literary and sound devices in order to understand the deeper meaning behind each of their sonnets.

Once the day came, students brought snacks and drinks and dressed up in all black for extra credit. As each student gave a summary of their poem, others were able to relax and eat as they listened to their peers.

”It was nice to share the fruits of our efforts with our class,” Cameron Adams ‘17 said.

Many students brought a variety of instruments, like tambourines, bongos, and ukuleles to play in the background of the presentations.

“It was a very relaxing break from the usual stress of school,” Ashley Lewis ‘17 said.

All students were required to read an alternate poem to accompany the themes of their sonnet. Many students picked songs, and some even performed or sang the song the to the class. The  entire project was a fun way to dig deep into sonnets and learn about the underlying themes in poetry.

“I really enjoyed seeing how passionate everyone was about their poems,” Victor Sambuis ‘17 said. “ You could tell by the way they presented that they had fallen in love with their sonnet.”