William Shakespeare’s best-known poems are his 154 sonnets, which he composed during the 1580s and 1590s. The majority of the sonnets are addressed to a young, aristocratic man, the speaker’s object of desire. Against this backdrop of unrequited love, the sonnets explore a number of topics and themes. “Sonnet 60” confronts the destructive but necessary force of time. Like of all of Shakespeare’s sonnets, “Sonnet 60” employs and develops vivid metaphors to express its themes.

Skills: analysis, drawing inferences from text, close reading, identifying the relationship between words

About This Document

The Owl Eyes Analyzing Metaphor worksheet gives students an opportunity to practice examining and analyzing metaphors. Students will engage with specific selections of the text and work collaboratively to identify the vehicle, tenor, and implications of each metaphor. The main components include the following:

• A brief introduction to the text
• A detailed handout on metaphor types
• A step-by-step guide to activity procedure
• A detailed answer key for teachers

In completing this worksheet, students will learn to classify and analyze different kinds of metaphors in order to develop close reading skills and draw deeper inferences from the text.