Provide your reader with an outline of what to expect in a sonnet by describing its basic format of 14 lines: eight lines outlining the problem culminating in a solution by the end of the last line.
Address the origins of the sonnet, providing your reader a description of Francesco Petrarch's style and the "Petrarch conventions." This provides your reader with a foundational understanding of the love poem, as well as a basis for comparison with other styles of sonnet that emerged throughout the English Renaissance period.
Define the concept of meter in poetry, explaining that it is the pattern of syllables. Highlight the pattern of syllables in your selected sonnet for your reader as an example. Two syllables paired together is referred to as a meter. Provide an example, such as "the man" or "undone."
Explain iambic pentameter in your guide, describing it as a set of five meters. These five meters include a soft, unstressed syllable that is immediately followed by a syllable that is stressed when spoken. An example of an unstressed syllable paired with a stressed syllable is "unDONE."
Use your explanation of pentameter in step 5 to highlight the meter, or rhythm, of your selected poem.
Identify the rhyme scheme of the selected poem for your reader. For example if every second line rhymes for the first 12 lines, with lines 13 and 14 rhyming with each other, your rhyme scheme would be abab cdcd efef gg. You might also see an example of abab bcbc cdcd ee. There are numerous variations of rhyme schemes in sonnets.
Highlight political and historical themes relevant to your selected sonnet, opening a discussion about how these may have influenced the poet. Encourage the reader to consider other relevant themes, such as the role of love or religion in the poem, as appropriate.
Encourage your reader to develop his own interpretation of the poem. Include questions such as "What feelings does this poem evoke for you?" and "What images come to mind when you read this sonnet?"