Sonnets

Week 22
SONNETS
 Derivation

The term sonnet is derived from the French word

sonet and the Italian word sonetto, both meaning little
song. By the thirteenth century, ―sonnet‖ had come to
signify a lyric poem of fourteen lines following a strict
rhyme scheme and logical structure. There are three
main types of sonnets—Shakespearean, Petrarchan, and
Spenserian—and each has its own unique configuration.
 Style

The sonnets of the Renaissance follow many stylistic

conventions. For instance, poets did not express their feelings
outright; instead, emotions were disguised using figures of speech—
commonly referred to as figurative language or poetic devices.
Specifically, Shakespearean sonnets are characterized by recurring
similes used to describe the idealized beauty of a lady (for example:
―cheeks like roses,‖ ―eyes like stars,‖ and ―teeth like pearls‖). Poets
also employ metaphors to compare themselves to creatures (such as
―moths drawn to a flame‖). Another common theme in poetry is
personification—especially the personification of love as the Roman
god Cupid and beauty as the Greek goddess Aphrodite.
 Style

What Makes a Poem a Sonnet?

Length 14 lines

Subject(s) A lyrical nature—a focus on personal feelings and thoughts

Meter Iambic pentameter lines (lines containing fine metrical unit,

each consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a
stressed syllable)

Structure and rhyme A particular structure and rhyme scheme, Petrarchan or

scheme Shakespearean (that of the sonnet of another variation)
 Poetry Terms

Sonnet: a fourteen line lyric poem following a specific rhyme scheme

Lyric: a poem, such as a sonnet or an ode, that expresses the thoughts and feelings of the poet; a lyric
poem may resemble a song in form or style
Ode: a lyric poem—serious and thoughtful in tone—with a precise, formal structure
Elegy: a poem that laments the death of a person, or one that is simply sad and thoughtful
Stanza: a unit within a larger poem; stanzas usually share a rhyme scheme and a fixed number of lines
Tercet: a stanza of three lines
Quatrain: a stanza of four lines; (the most common stanza form in European poetry)
Sestet: a stanza of six lines
 Poetry Terms

Octave: a stanza of eight lines

Couplet: a pair of lines that form a unit; most couplets rhyme (though they don’t have to)
Rhyme Scheme: the arrangement of rhymes in a poem or stanza
Volta: a turn (at the ninth line of an Italian sonnet) which signals a change in the tone, mood, or stance
of the poem; the move from proposition to resolution in a sonnet
Meter: the rhythmic pattern and arrangement of words in poetry; determined by type and number of
units per line
Iamb: a metrical foot consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable or a short
syllable followed by a long syllable (for example, de-lay)
Pentameter: a line of verse consisting of five metrical feet
Iambic Pentameter: a common meter in poetry consisting of an unrhymed line with five feet or accents,
each foot containing an unaccented syllable and an accented syllable. Shakespeare also uses iambic
pentameter in his plays: An example from Romeo and Juliet is ―But soft! / What light / through yon /der
win /dow breaks?‖
Strategies for Reading: Sonnet Form

1. Read the sonnet several times.

2. Use letters to label like-sounding words at the ends of lines.
3. Identify the major units of thought or feeling.
4. Describe the situation introduced in the first part of the sonnet.
5. Paraphrase the speaker’s final resolution of, conclusions about, or reactions to the situation.
6. Study the imagery and figurative language for clues to the emotions expressed.
7. Monitor your reading strategies and modify them when your understanding breaks down.
Remember to use strategies for active reading:
a. Predict
b. Visualize
c. Connect
d. Question
e. Clarify
f. Evaluate
 The Petrarchan Sonnet
Background
The Italian poet Francesco Petrarch first made the sonnet popular in the 14 th century. Petrarch (1304-1374) was not
only a poet, but also a scholar and early humanist. He and Dante Alighieri are considered ―the fathers of the
Renaissance.‖ Petrarch’s collection of 366 poems is called the Canzoniere or ―Song Book.‖

In 1327, the sight of a woman called Laura in the church of Sainte-Claire d'Avignon awoke in Petrarch a
lasting passion. Her realistic presentation in his poems contrasts with the clichés of troubadours and courtly love.
Her presence causes him unspeakable joy, but his unrequited love creates unendurable desires. There is little definite
information in Petrarch's work concerning Laura, except she is fair-haired and lovely to look at, with a modest,
dignified bearing. She is believed to have been married to another man, thus perpetuating Petrarch’s longing.

Structure
Petrarchan sonnets, also called Italian sonnets, are distinguishable by their structure: first an octave (eight lines), then
a sestet (six lines) following the rhyme scheme abbaabba cdecde OR abbaabba cdcdcd.

Petrarchan sonnets present problems, pose questions, and express ideas in the octave, and then resolve the problems
and answer the questions in the sestet. Typically, the ninth line creates a "turn" or volta, which signals the move from
proposition to resolution. Even in sonnets that don't strictly follow the problem/resolution structure, the ninth line
still often marks a "turn" by signaling a change in the tone, mood, or stance of the poem.
 The Shakespearean Sonnet

Background
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an English poet and playwright widely regarded as the greatest
writer of the English language, one of the greatest writers in Western literature, and the world's pre-eminent
dramatist. He wrote about 38 plays and 154 sonnets, as well as a variety of other poems. Already a popular writer in
his own lifetime, Shakespeare's reputation became increasingly celebrated after his death. Shakespeare is the most
quoted writer in the literature and history of the English-speaking world. He is often considered England's national
poet and is referred to as ―The Bard of Avon,‖ ―The Bard,‖ or ―The Swan of Avon.‖

Also called English sonnets, Shakespeare's sonnets comprise a collection of 154 poems that deal with such
themes as love, beauty, politics, and mortality. The sonnets were written over a period of several years (beginning in
the early 1590’s), and all but two first appeared in a 1609 collection entitled Shakespeare's Sonnets.

Structure
Shakespearean sonnets are constructed of three quatrains and a couplet composed in iambic pentameter
with the rhyme scheme abab cdcd efef gg. Shakespearean sonnets express related ideas or examples in the quatrains,
and sum up the poet’s message in the couplet.
 The Spenserian Sonnet

Background
Edmund Spenser (1552-1599) was an English poet and Poet Laureate (a poet officially appointed by a
government to compose poems for state occasions). The Spenserian sonnet was named for him and is a variant on the
English (Shakespearean) sonnet.

Structure
Spenserian sonnets follow the rhyme scheme abab bcbc cdcd ee. The form is treated as three quatrains
connected by an interlocking rhyme scheme and followed by a couplet.
da Dum | da Dum | da Dum | da Dum | da Dum

Shall I comPARE thee TO a SUMmer’s DAY?

thou ART more LOVEly AND more TEMPerATE:
rough WINDS do SHAKE the DARling BUDS of MAY,
and SUMmer’s LEASE hath ALL too SHORT a DATE:
so LONG as MEN can BREATHE, or EYES can SEE,
so LONG lives THIS, and THIS gives LIFE to THEE
Iambic pentameter

The iambic pentameter is formed with ten syllables

per line. The pattern starts with an unstressed beat
followed by a stressed beat, making the line end with
a stressed beat. Using the iambic pentameter, the
rhyming scheme becomes more evident. Thus,
allowing the rhyming pattern ABAB CDCD EFEF
GG become more pronounced as written above.
Iambic pentameter

There are two types of sonnet: The Petrarchan or Italian, and

the Shakespearean or English. The Petrarchan sonnet is divided
into two parts – the first eight lines are called the octave, and the last
six lines are called the sestet. The octave presents problems, while
the sestet provides the solution or conclusion.

The Shakespearean sonnet is divided into quatrains or

three four – line parts, and the couplet – the final part of two lines
that rhyme. Each quatrain develops a different aspect of the theme,
while the final couplet acts as the concluding statement of the
sonnet.
Iambic pentameter

Sonnets usually express an intense feeling of love or

loss and tackle themes that usually deal with the
immortalization of love and beauty and the inevitable death
that comes with time.

These two types of sonnets also differ in rhyme

scheme. A Petrarchan sonnet follows this rhyme pattern abba
| abba | cde | cde. The Shakespearean sonnet, on the other
hand, has a rhyme scheme of abba | cdcd | efef | gg.
Thank YOU
Prepared by English Subject Teachers

AY 2020-2021