Sonnet 73 Theme Connection

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.

Stephanie’s Summer Vacation

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.

Student Instructions

1. Click "Start Assignment".
2. Think of a time when time went by too fast.
3. Storyboard that time, including parts of the memory in each cell.
4. Include illustrations for each description, using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
5. Save and Exit