A sonnet is a 14-line poem that typically follows a specific rhyme scheme and meter, traditionally iambic pentameter. While its precise origins can be traced to Italy, it became a significant part of English poetry during the Renaissance. The word “sonnet” itself comes from the Italian word sonetto, meaning “little song” or “small sound.” Over time, this poetic form has adapted and expanded into several different styles, each with its own set of rules and conventions.
Sonnets have been used by numerous celebrated poets, including William Shakespeare, Petrarch, and John Milton, to express themes ranging from love and beauty to time and mortality. Though the form is formal, it provides ample opportunity for creative expression within its rigid structure.
The Essential Features of a Sonnet
Length: A sonnet consists of 14 lines.
Meter: Traditional sonnets are written in iambic pentameter, meaning each line has ten syllables, with a pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables.
Rhyme Scheme: Sonnets usually follow a specific rhyme scheme, though variations exist depending on the type.
Volta: The “volta” (Italian for “turn”) is a rhetorical shift or change in argument, tone, or perspective that typically occurs at the start of the ninth line or sometimes at the start of the third quatrain.
1. The Petrarchan Sonnet (Italian Sonnet)
The Petrarchan sonnet, also known as the Italian sonnet, is the earliest form of the sonnet and was named after the Italian poet Petrarch, whose works popularized it in the 14th century. This type of sonnet consists of an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines), typically divided by a volta, or thematic shift.
Structure and Rhyme Scheme
Octave: The first eight lines follow the rhyme scheme ABBAABBA.
Sestet: The last six lines have one of the following rhyme schemes: CDCDCD or CDECDE.
The volta typically occurs between the eighth and ninth lines, where there is often a shift in tone or perspective. The octave usually presents a problem, situation, or question, and the sestet offers a resolution, counterargument, or answer.
Example of a Petrarchan Sonnet
One of the most famous examples of the Petrarchan sonnet is Petrarch’s own sonnet, “Sonnet 61,” which begins with the following lines:
“You who hear the sound of my sad lament,
And see my tears flow from my heart’s deep source,
I cannot explain to you, nor will I tell
The cause of all my grief, nor the course
Of this strange love that runs so wild and free.”
This sonnet follows the traditional Italian sonnet structure, creating a balance between the octave’s expression of emotional turmoil and the sestet’s more philosophical or reflective conclusion.
Significance of the Petrarchan Sonnet
The Petrarchan sonnet’s combination of lyricism and philosophical reflection was influential in both Italian and English poetry. It allowed poets to express complex emotional states, often concerning unattainable or idealized love, with a clear division between problem and resolution. This made the form ideal for poets like Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who used the structure in her famous Sonnets from the Portuguese.
2. The Shakespearean Sonnet (English Sonnet)
The Shakespearean sonnet, also called the English sonnet, was popularized by William Shakespeare in the late 16th century and became one of the most recognizable forms of the sonnet in English poetry. Unlike the Petrarchan sonnet, the Shakespearean sonnet is composed of three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and a couplet (two-line stanza) at the end.
Structure and Rhyme Scheme
The rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet is ABABCDCDEFEFGG.
Each quatrain introduces a new theme, argument, or development, while the final couplet often presents a resolution, twist, or witty conclusion.
The volta in a Shakespearean sonnet may appear in different places, often after the third quatrain or in the final couplet, where it offers a sharp turn in tone or perspective.
Example of a Shakespearean Sonnet
“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:”
This sonnet follows the typical Shakespearean structure with its three quatrains and concluding couplet. The volta comes in the third quatrain, where Shakespeare shifts from the transient nature of beauty to the eternal preservation of the beloved’s beauty through poetry.
Significance of the Shakespearean Sonnet
The Shakespearean sonnet’s more flexible structure allows for a more varied exploration of themes. Its rhyme scheme encourages a smooth flow between quatrains, and the concluding couplet often delivers a witty or philosophical insight that ties the sonnet together. This made it particularly appealing for exploring themes of love, beauty, time, and mortality.
3. The Spenserian Sonnet
The Spenserian sonnet is named after the English poet Edmund Spenser, who used this structure in his epic work The Faerie Queene. It is similar to the Shakespearean sonnet but has a unique twist on its rhyme scheme that creates a more intricate connection between the quatrains.
Structure and Rhyme Scheme
The rhyme scheme of a Spenserian sonnet is ABABBCBCCDCDEE.
It consists of three quatrains and a concluding couplet, similar to the Shakespearean sonnet.
The Spenserian sonnet is distinguished by the linking rhyme between the quatrains. The rhyme of the final line of the first quatrain carries over to the next quatrain, creating a sense of continuity and cohesion throughout the poem.
Example of a Spenserian Sonnet
“Happy ye leaves! when as those lily hands
Which hold my life in their dead doing might,
Shall bend and make me take my course in hands,
Their wayes to guide me for to love the right;”
Significance of the Spenserian Sonnet
The Spenserian sonnet’s use of interwoven rhyme schemes gives the poem a lyrical, flowing quality. Spenser’s innovation added complexity to the traditional sonnet form, allowing for a more intricate development of themes, especially in the context of his allegorical works.
4. The Miltonic Sonnet
The Miltonic sonnet, named after the great English poet John Milton, is a variation of the Petrarchan sonnet that alters the traditional form to suit Milton’s unique style. Known for his epic Paradise Lost, Milton used the sonnet form to explore a wide range of themes, from religious questions to personal introspection.
Structure and Rhyme Scheme
The Miltonic sonnet follows the Petrarchan structure of the octave and sestet but is more flexible in its rhyme scheme.
Milton often used a more fluid and irregular rhyme scheme, diverging from the strict ABBAABBA of the octave or the CDCDCD of the sestet.
Example of a Miltonic Sonnet
Milton’s Sonnet 19, beginning with “When I consider how my light is spent,” is a well-known example:
“When I consider how my light is spent,
Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent which is death to hide
Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent…”
Significance of the Miltonic Sonnet
The Miltonic sonnet breaks from some of the more rigid conventions of the Italian and English forms. It allows for greater flexibility in rhyme and meter, reflecting Milton’s interest in exploring deeper theological, philosophical, and existential questions.
5. The Curtal Sonnet
The Curtal sonnet is a 10.5-line form invented by the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins. The term “curtal” refers to a “cut” version of the sonnet, meaning it is shortened in length compared to traditional sonnets.
Structure and Rhyme Scheme
The Curtal sonnet consists of 10.5 lines, divided into two tercets (three-line stanzas) and a shorter quatrain.
Its rhyme scheme is ABAAB CDEC D.
Example of a Curtal Sonnet
Here is an excerpt from Hopkins’ Pied Beauty, which is written in this form:
“Glory be to God for dappled things—
For skies of couple-color as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim…”
Significance of the Curtal Sonnet
Hopkins’ innovation with the Curtal sonnet allowed for more condensed poetic expression. The brevity of the form presents a challenge for the poet, encouraging them to convey a powerful message within a shortened structure.
Conclusion
The sonnet, in all its various forms, continues to be a versatile and expressive poetic form, whether employed to explore themes of love, beauty, time, or personal reflection. Each type of sonnet, from the traditional Petrarchan sonnet to the more experimental Curtal sonnet, offers unique structural features and opportunities for creative exploration.
Understanding the different types of sonnets enriches our appreciation of this timeless form of poetry, allowing poets and readers to engage with it on a deeper level. By mastering the sonnet, writers can harness its power to convey complex emotions and ideas in a succinct, elegant manner, leaving a lasting impact on readers for generations to come.
