Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 Analysis & Write a Sonnet with Chat GPT

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and if you’re looking for a meaningful yet engaging way to bring Shakespeare into your classroom, I have the perfect activity for you! I’ve just finished creating a Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 Analysis & Write a Sonnet with Chat GPT, Valentine’s Day Activity—a resource that blends close reading, literary analysis, and creative writing while integrating AI as a constructive tool to craft a Shakespearean-style sonnet.

This is an ideal activity for High School English (Grades 9-12), Shakespeare Poetry Units, or AP Literature!

Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116: A Celebration of Unchanging Love

Firstly, before we dive into the activity, let’s take a moment to read the sonnet itself:

Sonnet 116 – Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

A Deep Dive into Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116

Sonnet 116 is one of Shakespeare’s most famous explorations of true love, constancy, and devotion. Unlike Sonnet 18, which is full of personal admiration and romantic flattery, Sonnet 116 speaks of love as an unshakable, universal force—one that doesn’t change with time or circumstance.

But do our students agree? Is love truly eternal? Does love never change, as Shakespeare claims?

That’s where this interactive, literary analysis activity comes in! Students will engage deeply with Sonnet 116, break it down through structured analysis, and then respond to it creatively in poetic form!

Step 1: Close Reading and Guided Analysis of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116

To help students fully grasp the meaning and structure of Sonnet 116, I’ve designed an easy-to-follow, 5-page graphic organizer bundle that takes them through a step-by-step analysis of the poem.

The Activity Includes:

• Paraphrasing each quatrain and the couplet to break down Shakespeare’s meaning
• Annotating their reactions to Shakespeare’s ideas about love
• Identifying key themes and literary devices, such as metaphor, personification, and imagery
• Summarizing the sonnet and discussing whether or not they agree with its message

Essentially, these structured activities ensure comprehension before moving on to the creative portion of the lesson!

Step 2: Write a Sonnet with Chat GPT

After engaging with Sonnet 116, students will take on the role of a modern poet responding to Shakespeare.

However, here’s the twist:
💌 They must write a response sonnet to Shakespeare’s argument about love!

➡️ Do they agree with him? Is love truly unchanging, or does it evolve over time?
➡️ Do they reject his claim? Perhaps they argue that love can fade, shift, or even be lost?

Guided Structure for Writing Their Response:

📌 Mirroring or contrasting Shakespeare’s imagery and language
📌 Using the Shakespearean sonnet structure (ABABCDCDEFEFGG)
📌 Reflecting on whether love is constant, fleeting, or something else entirely

And here’s where Chat GPT comes in!

Students first plan their response using the provided graphic organizers, then they test their ideas using AI as a tool to refine their Shakespearean sonnet.

They will:
🔹 Plan their sonnet’s structure and argument
🔹 Experiment with poetic techniques (metaphor, imagery, repetition)
🔹 Analyze how AI generates poetic language (its strengths and weaknesses)
🔹 Engage with Shakespeare’s themes in a personal and critical way

Therefore, this approach introduces AI as a support tool, not a shortcut, while also making poetry more engaging!

Step 3: Peer Review & Sonnet Exchange

To wrap up, students will analyze and critique each other’s sonnets. They will also use the same close reading skills they applied to Sonnet 116.

Extension Ideas:

💌 Peer Poetry Exchange: Students respond to each other’s sonnets in verse!
💌 Valentine’s Bulletin Board: Display Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 alongside student-written sonnets!
💌 Guess the Shakespeare!: Mix in AI-generated sonnets and have students determine which ones are real!

All in all, this encourages students to think critically about AI-generated poetry while reinforcing their understanding of Shakespearean sonnets!

A Creative and Meaningful Approach to Teaching Sonnet 116

✔️ Blends literary analysis, critical thinking, and creative writing
✔️ Encourages students to engage with Shakespeare in a personal way
✔️ Introduces AI as a structured learning tool
✔️ Perfect for a Valentine’s Day lesson or poetry unit
✔️ Fosters peer collaboration and classroom discussion

Truth be told, I think we must start asking ourselves how Chat GPT can become useful in the classroom. If anything else, I hope this a step in the right direction and that it makes for an interesting Valentine’s Day activity.

Let me know how it works for you! Also, please feel free to check out my TPT store for more literature-based resources.

Last but not least, happy teaching and happy Valentine’s Day!