Musical Shakespeare

For your musically-talented learners, Rufus Wainwright's beautifully sung sonnets are a rare treat. Even as an added touch to your study of the sonnets, Wainwright's "sonnet songs" bring the poetry to life. Listening to these sonnet songs can prompt discussions about rhythym, music, rhymes, and beat.

Younger children can easily be exposed to these ballads, singing out Shakespearean phrases well before they can carry their Complete Works of Shakespeare text. You can also purchase the CD When Loves Speaks, which includes readings by such actors as Alan Rickman, John Hurt, Kenneth Branagh, and more, as well as musical interpretations by Rufus Wainwright, Annie Lennox, and more. It's easy to pop this CD in the car and listen while running errands, or listen at home during chores or dinnertime. Weaving Shakespearean readings and songs into our lives is a gentle way of exposing our children to Shakespeare.

Sonnet Comparisons

Not only can deciphering Shakespeare's sonnets be difficult, but the individual readings can also morph the reading. As you study the sonnets, ask different family members to read the sonnets aloud and compare the distinctions.


What words do we enunciate? Do we cringe when we read "reeks," in Sonnet 130, with our modern minds?


Snagging ourselves on some words that seem ill-fitting is natural, but remember Shakespeare's careful choice of words instead of flying through them. Look up tricky words in the online etymology dictionary (http://etymonline.com/).

As a fun treat, listen to this video together. It is a dual reading of Sonnet 130 by Daniel Radcliffe, young star of Harry Potter, and Alan Rickman, accomplished actor. Despite it being the same words spoken, both Radcliffe and Rickman enunciate certain words. Compare and contrast these readings to each other and with your own!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s2PnG1W1gM