The sonnet is a poetic form that has survived the test of time, especially as it is short, rhythmic, musical and thoughtful. In this 4 week class we will read several sonnets from Petrarch and Shakespeare right up to the present time, when Billy Collins spoofs it in “American Sonnet.” We’ll look at poems from many poets, including John Milton, Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats, Christina Rosetti, Elizabeth Barrett Browning,W.H. Auden,G.M. Hopkins and Dylan Thomas. Please note...This course is meant to be informative, non-threatening and fun! Students will always try to connect the poems to modern life and try to see how these “little sounds” (sonnets) speak to us still!