What is the definition of a sonnet?
A sonnet is a fourteen line poem, each line usually contains ten syllables (written in iambic pentameter) and this poem has a fixed pattern of rhymes. The first eight lines are known as octave and the another six lines are known as sestet. The octave has problems and the sestet has solutions. There is a volta often in the ninth line that means ‘change of thought‘.
The term ‘sonnet’ has been taken from the ‘Italian’ word ‘sonnetto’ which means ‘a little song or sound’.
Types of Sonnet
- Italian Sonnet (Petrarchan Sonnet)
- English Sonnet (Shakespearean Sonnet)
- Spenserian Sonnet
- Curtail Sonnet
(1) Italian or Petrarchan Sonnet
This type of sonnet is named after the fourteenth century Italian poet, Petrarch. The first eight lines of this type of poem are actave and the another six lines are called sestet. The rhyme scheme of octave is a b b a a b b a and the rhyme scheme of sestet is c d e c d e but some varients are c d c c d c.. Petrarch’s sonnets were first imitated in England.
(2) English or Shakespearean Sonnet
English or Shakespearean sonnet was developed in the sixteenth century by the Earl of Surrey and other English authors. This sonnet falls into three quatrains and a concluding couplet. The rhyme scheme of English or Shakespearean Sonnet is a b a b c d c d e f e f g g.
During the period 1564 – 1616 Shakespeare wrote total 154 sonnets.
(3) Spenserian Sonnet
This is a fourteen line poem and named after the poet Edmund Spenser. It contains three quatrains and one couplet. The rhyme scheme of Spenserian Sonnet is a b a b b c b c c d c d e e. This sonnet is the special variant of English or Shakespearean sonnet written in iambic pentameter. This is the popular form of English or Shakespearean sonnet.
(4) Curtal Sonnet
Curtal sonnet is a poem of ten and a half line. This sonnet was given by the English poet Gerard Manley Hopkins (G.M. Hopkins). In curtal sonnet octave becomes sestet and sestet becomes a quatrain. And the half line is called ‘tail piece’.
In comparison to Petrarchan sonnet, curtal sonnet is short, which has ten and a half line. Sometimes this sonnet is considered to be of eleven lines.
Example of curtal sonnet: “Pied Beauty” by GM Hopkins
Candate Sonnet is an expanded version of the sonnet. It consists of 14 lines in standard sonnet forms followed by a coda/conda means ‘tail’ from which the name is derived.
Other Questions Related to Sonnets
Why do sonnets have 14 lines?
Sonnets have 14 lines because since it was structured of 14 lines it is in the same manner since its origin.
Who wrote sonnet for the first time?
Giacomo da Lentini was an Italian poet in the thirteenth century. He is believed to have written the sonnet for the first time in the thirteenth century.
What is a blank sonnet?
This is a sonnet written in blank verse which a literary writing style in English Literature. It uses special meter iambic pentameter but it does not have a rhyme scheme.
Who is the father of sonnet?
The father of the English Sonnet is Thomas Wyatt an English poet of sixteenth century. Wyatt introduced sonnet to English Literature by translating Italian sonnets into English sonnets.Is sonnet 12 or 14 lines?
What is the most famous sonnet?
The most famous sonnet is considered to be the ‘Sonnet 18’ of William Shakespeare. Its first line is very important which is “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day.
Some Important Sonnets
- On His Blindness (When I Consider How My Light Is Spent) by John Milton
- Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day by William Shakespeare
- How Do I Love Thee by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
- How Soon Hath Time, The Subtle Thief of Youth by John Milton
- On Shakespeare by John Milton