Sonnet- derived from the Italian word “sonetto” which means a little song or small

lyric. In poetry, a sonnet has 14 lines, and is written in iambic pentameter. Each lines
has 10 syllables. It has a specific rhyme scheme, and a volta or a specific turn.

Generally, sonnets are divided into different groups based on the rhyme scheme they
follow.

Types of Sonnet
 Shakespearean Sonnet
 Petrarchan Sonnet

Writing a Shakespearean Sonnet:

1. Use the Shakespearean rhyme scheme.

-The rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet always follow this pattern:

 ABABCDCDEFEFGG

These letters represent the sound that appears at the end of each line. Following this
pattern of alternating rhymes, we find that the last words of first and third lines must
rhyme; the second and fourth; the fifth and seventh: the sixth and eight; and so on,
ending in a final rhyming couplet.

2. Write your lines in iambic pentameter.

-Iambic pentameter is a type of poetic meter, meaning that it’s a way of
measuring out the rhythm of a line. Iambic pentameter is a very regular meter
and is one of the most common meters in English-language petry.
A line of iambic pentameter is a line of five iambic feet, resulting in a 10-syllable
rhythm of ta-TUM ta-TUM ta-TUM ta-TUM ta-TUM.

EXAMPLE:
“Shall I/ compare/ thee TO/ a SUM/ mer’s DAY?”
‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?’ from Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18”

3. Vary your meter from time to time.

-Although the majority of the line in Shakespearean sonnet should be written in

iambic pentameter, the rhythm can get predictable if you use it exclusively. By
breaking up the pattern you can make the poem more interesting to the readers

EXAMPLE:

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

 4. Follow the Shakespearean sonnet’s stanzaic structure
- A Shakespearean sonnet is composed of three heroic quatrains and a heroic
couplet.
*The three heroic quatrains are the “ABAB CDCD EFEF” portion of rhyme
scheme.
*The heroic couplet is the “GG” closing.
* You can separate these stanzas with blank lines, or leave them all together in
an unbroken poem, but the soonets should move as a function of these discrete
stanzas.
5. Develop your stanzas thoughtfully
- Although your poem should have a single focus, each stanza of the sonnet
should develop the idea further. Think of each quatrain as a little bubble, like a
paragraph, in which you explore an element of the subject of your poem. Each
quatrain should build toward the final couplet, where you will have a turn, or a
volta.

EXAMPLE:

6. Choose your subject matter carefully

- Although you can write a Shakespearean sonnet about anything, they are
traditionally love poems; you might keep this in mind if you want to write a purely
traditional sonnet there must be no abstract subject.