Sometimes, it is difficult for students to connect with themes in poetry until they put them into a real-world context. Consider the following activity for students to storyboard with “Sonnet 73”:
Have students brainstorm a time (or times) in their lives when they felt time was passing by too quickly. This could be something as simple as a trip to an amusement park, to something more serious like watching the progression of Alzheimer’s in a relative. Have the student storyboard the experience, ending with something they have learned about time passing too quickly.
Cell 1: When we got out of school for summer vacation, I couldn’t believe we had 80 days of freedom and fun in the sun! It seemed like all the time in the world!
Cell 2: I promised myself that I would make the most of my free time, and planned all kinds of fun activities, like going to the beach, traveling to Florida, and going camping!
Cell 3: My best friend Meaghan was going to be at her lakehouse for most of the summer, but I promised her that when she came back to home for the last 2 weeks of summer that we’d spend every day together!
Cell 4: When Meaghan came back home, I was too busy with other friends to hang out with her. We didn’t see each other at all before school started.
Cell 5: Then, I found out that Meaghan is moving all the way to Texas! It’s a quick move, and she, her mom, and her dad are busy packing, so I won’t get to see her much before she leaves other than in school.
Cell 6: I wish I had taken the opportunity to spend more quality time with Meaghan because now I don’t know when I will get to visit her in Texas.
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Student Instructions