Help on writing a sonnet starting with "Shall I compare thee to..."? What is something that is pretty, perfect

Question

I'm not asking you to write my sonnet for me. But we read a love poem/sonnet. It must be a love/like sonnet with 10 syllables in each line. We start off with "Shall I compare thee to ____________. I have 4 more syllables left for this line. What is an object or something that is a good thing for comparing my girlfriend too. I can't think of something. I was trying to think of something that is beautiful, something I want, something I need, something perfect etc. What is something I can put with 4 syllables at the end of my first line in my sonnet (Shall I compare thee to ____________) I've never really been the creative type so I really need your help to think of something that will fit into this. Thanks a lot!


So basically I'm just comparing my girlfriend thorough the rest of the sonnet to whatever I put in the blank at "Shall I compare thee to "a pretty girl" Though that's to plain and will not work

Answer 1

You have to do research yourself and find something that you will feel comfortable with for the rest of the poem. Google "perfection" and read articles on the subject. They will lead you to other articles and you will find what you are looking for.
For example:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfection
I would choose "a perfect number" and use mathematical metaphors, because it is quite original. That would make it 11 syllables, but it is the number of stresses (5) that matters.
Good luck.

Answer 2

You can give her the original. It's perfectly sweet and it shows that you know Shakespeare. (Look up "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" from the musical "Kiss Me Kate" for a smile.)

And a hint: if you compare something to something else, they usually are not the same thing. Hence, comparing someone to a pretty girl implies that the former is not the latter.

Also: this poem doesn't need to be something romantic and cutesy, especially if you two are a bit older. You can use something that is important to you if she knows about how much you care about it. That's a lot more personal than something traditional and generic like a summer's day.

Oh, and it's not just 10 syllables. It's five iambs. That's five feet of two syllables each, with emphasis on the second syllable.
shall I comPARE thee TO a SUMmer's DAY
thou ART more FAIR and TEMperATE.

Not
CHEESE is my FAvorITE FOOD for EATing.
i LIKE to EAT it on NACHOS and BREAD.

(See? The emphasis has a duh-DUT, duh-DUT, duh-DUT, duh-DUT, duh-DUT pattern for each line.)

Good luck. Sonnets are one of the tricky ones.

Answer 3

Shall I compare thee to a cloudless sky

Shall I compare thee to a gentle sea

Shall I compare thee to an ice cream cone

Shall I compare thee to a foot long sub

Shall I compare thee to my favorite song

Shall I compare thee to a starlit night

Shall I compare thee to the ocean's breeze

Shall I compare thee to a cashmere scarf

Shall I compare thee to an angel pure

Shall I compare thee to a goddess fair

Shall I compare thee to a frosted cake

Shall I compare thee to the winter's snow


I mean, I could do this all day. But you should try to find an image that has meaning for YOU and for your relationship.