What is a Sonnet?
The word “sonnet” comes from the Italian word for “little song.” This is a fitting title — as a sonnet possesses many musical qualities.
Sonnets usually explore universal elements of human life to which many people can relate. Themes such as love, war, mortality, change, and hardship are some common topics featured in the sonnet. Sometimes the poet is trying to answer a larger question about life or provide commentary on a social issue.
In general, sonnets are written in iambic pentameter, are fourteen lines long, possess a set rhyme scheme, and have a recognizable turn or “volta.
There are two main types of sonnets: English and Italian. English sonnets are known as Shakespearean sonnets and Italian sonnets are also referred to as Petrarchan sonnets. The poets, Shakespeare and Petrarch, were the most famous sonnet writers of their time within their respective poetic forms. Though both types of sonnets are comprised of fourteen lines, the structuring of the lines and rhyme schemes are different.
Incorporating a Volta
An English sonnet is comprised of three quatrains and ends with a couplet. The resolution or volta does not come until the final rhymed couplet making a powerful ending statement. The Italian sonnet is composed of an octave and then a sestet. Generally, the first eight lines introduce a problem and the last six lines provide resolution.
Volta is the Italian word for “turn.” A turn represents various changes in the sonnet. It might refer to a change in the theme, the sound, the emphasis or the message of the poem. The volta indicate that the sonnet is coming to an end.
In the English sonnet, the volta is found in the third quatrain while in the Italian sonnet the volta is often found in the ninth line.
What is Iambic Pentameter?
Sonnets are written in a rhythm called iambic pentameter. An iamb is represented by two syllables and is an example of a metrical foot in a poem. The first syllable of an iamb is unstressed, and the second syllable is stressed or emphasized. When spoken aloud, the syllables sound like a fall and rise (duh-DUH-duh-DUH-duh-DUH-duh-DUH-duh-DUH).
The word pentameter refers the act of repeating the iamb five times. Iambs don’t need to be two-syllable words. The unstressed, stressed pattern can stretch out across separate words or even repeat within a single word provided that the stresses still work. Pentameter means that there are five metrical feet per line (10 total syllables).
The English/ Shakespearean Sonnet
The rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet always follows this pattern:
- ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
- Although written in iambic pentameter, the rhythm can get plodding and predictable if you use it exclusively. By varying the stress pattern slightly at key moments, you can break up the pattern and make the poem more aurally interesting for the reader, and also use the variation to draw attention to key phrases in your poem.
- A Shakespearean sonnet is composed of three quatrains and one couplet.
- In a Shakespearean sonnet, the three quatrains are the “ABAB CDCD EFEF” portion of the rhyme scheme
- The couplet is the “GG” closing.
- You can separate these stanzas with blank lines, or leave them all together in an unbroken poem.
Here is an example of an English/Shakespearean Sonnet I wrote
Retribution for a Crime Unsolved
by John Hansen © 2016
Without a clue, I could not solve the crime,
I had to search for further evidence.
To find the killer I’d devote my time,
Cold murder is a capital offense.
But where to turn to find the clue I need?
Sometimes it is the place you least expect.
Amazed at what someone will do for greed,
For human life, they show no real respect.
And even though the victim is now gone,
I will not stop until I have my man,
Ensuring that the law is handed down.
In retribution the best way I can.
But sadly this murder remains unsolved,
A cold case now and filed as “UNRESOLVED.”
I hope this helps you understand how to write an English/Shakespearean Sonnet. In a future article, I will discuss further how to write an Italian/Petrarchan Sonnet.