Shakespeare Sonnet Word Scrambles Poem by Joe Wocoski

Shakespeare Sonnet Word Scrambles



At the bottom of each sonnet are nine scrambled words. All you need to do is unscramble each word then find and circle each word in the sonnet.

Sonnet # ____

When I consider every thing that grows
Holds in perfection but a little moment,
That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows
Whereon the stars in secret influence comment;
When I perceive that men as plants increase,
Cheered and checked even by the self-same sky,
Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease,
And wear their brave state out of memory;
Then the conceit of this inconstant stay
Sets you most rich in youth before my sight,
Where wasteful Time debateth with decay
To change your day of youth to sullied night,
And all in war with Time for love of you,
As he takes from you, I engraft you new.


sepertenth batedthe gehcan

creste rivecepe luwefast

tenmmco lufencein toyhu


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Sonnet # ____

Poor soul, the centre of my sinful earth,
My sinful earth these rebel powers array,
Why dost thou pine within and suffer dearth,
Painting thy outward walls so costly gay?
Why so large cost, having so short a lease,
Dost thou upon thy fading mansion spend?
Shall worms, inheritors of this excess,
Eat up thy charge? Is this thy body's end?
Then soul, live thou upon thy servant's loss,
And let that pine to aggravate thy store;
Buy terms divine in selling hours of dross;
Within be fed, without be rich no more:
So shall thou feed on Death, that feeds on men,
And Death once dead, there's no more dying then.


atgravage eadhrt hirinstore

nertec thead mnnsaio

egrach nievid gainpint


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Sonnet # ____

O! from what power hast thou this powerful might,
With insufficiency my heart to sway?
To make me give the lie to my true sight,
And swear that brightness doth not grace the day?
Whence hast thou this becoming of things ill,
That in the very refuse of thy deeds
There is such strength and warrantise of skill,
That, in my mind, thy worst all best exceeds?
Who taught thee how to make me love thee more,
The more I hear and see just cause of hate?
O! though I love what others do abhor,
With others thou shouldst not abhor my state:
If thy unworthiness rais'd love in me,
More worthy I to be belov'd of thee.


beshsntrig eesurf thutag

fuciesinfincy shotluds newtoshirnus

hgitm getnthrs rantwisear




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Sonnet # ____

If the dull substance of my flesh were thought,
Injurious distance should not stop my way;
For then despite of space I would be brought,
From limits far remote, where thou dost stay.
No matter then although my foot did stand
Upon the farthest earth remov'd from thee;
For nimble thought can jump both sea and land,
As soon as think the place where he would be.
But, ah! thought kills me that I am not thought,
To leap large lengths of miles when thou art gone,
But that so much of earth and water wrought,
I must attend, time's leisure with my moan;
Receiving nought by elements so slow
But heavy tears, badges of either's woe.


deepsit morete itsdance

thefarst benlim ghtthou

inkth ghnout tarse




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Sonnet # ____

Against that time, if ever that time come,
When I shall see thee frown on my defects,
When as thy love hath cast his utmost sum,
Call'd to that audit by advis'd respects;
Against that time when thou shalt strangely pass,
And scarcely greet me with that sun, thine eye,
When love, converted from the thing it was,
Shall reasons find of settled gravity;
Against that time do I ensconce me here,
Within the knowledge of mine own desert,
And this my hand, against my self uprear,
To guard the lawful reasons on thy part:
To leave poor me thou hast the strength of laws,
Since why to love I can allege no cause.


aagstin aonres elyarscc

gthstren tedvercon ctsedef

gelyanstr ncecoens velo

POET'S NOTES ABOUT THE POEM
I want to share these new and exciting sonnet word searches with my poetry readers and fans. Please let me know what you think of these new poetry word games which I came up with based on Shakespeare's Sonnets? I give the Bard full credit for these sonnets, and thank him for giving me the chance to turn his Sonnets into fun word games. I hope to bring a new way of enjoying poetry and word games to all, to rekindle interest in Shakespeare's Sonnets in schools and us all through these fun mind games. So on this site; I am sharing with you these word games from my first poetry puzzle book 'Shakespeare Sonnet Word Games First Foolery' which is available on

please leave a comment I value your feedback.
Thank you very much
May the Bard live On
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