Shakespearean Sonnet

Shakespearean Sonnet

Jessica Payton

Cal State University, Fullerton

September 28, 2020

Shakespearean Sonnet

Shakespearean Sonnet

A ​Shakespearean Sonne​t is a specific type of sonnet composed of fourteen lines that follows a

particular rhyme scheme and is written in iambic pentameter. A key aspect of the Shakespearean

sonnet is that it is written in three quatrains and concluded with a rhyming couplet which

completes the Rhyme Scheme ​abab cdcd efef gg ​(Strand & Boland, 2001)​.

Key Terms

1. Rhyme scheme:​ ​The structure of a stanzas rhymes at the end of each line which is

represented by a lowercase letter in the alphabet. When a new rhyme is introduced it will

receive the next chronological letter. (i.e. a stanza of eight lines that rhymes in an

alternating pattern would have an ​abababab ​rhyme scheme)

2. Meter:​ ​The structure of a poetic line's rhythm. Poems that are meticulous when it comes

to meter tend to be more lyrical in nature.

3. Iambic Pentameter:​ The type of meter that is used to write a line in sonnets. It follows the

pattern of one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable repeated five times. If

done correctly, a line will consist of 10 syllables where the stress alternates per syllable.

4. Couplet​:​ Two lines of poetry or lyric that are connected through rhyme or meter that

establish one unit of poetry or song.

5. Quatrain: ​ A stanza that is comprised of 4 lines and that usually follows the pattern of an

alternating rhyme scheme (i.e. ​abab​)

Shakespearean Sonnet

6. Sestet:​ A stanza that is comprised of six lines that concludes the Petrarachan sonnet (an

Italian sonnet structure that came before the Shakespearean sonnet) which follows its

own rules in regards to rhyme scheme

7. Octave:​ A stanza comprised of eight lines that begins the fourteen lined Petrarchan

sonnet which follows a particular rhyme scheme and is usually written in iambic

pentameter.

Figure 1 [Online Image] Petrarch Canzoniere

History of the Shakespearean Sonnet

The Shakespearean sonnet is an English sonnet that

evolved from an older Italian Sonnet form: the Petrarchan

Sonnet. Sonnets originated from the courts of Sicily and were

popularized by the Italian poet Petrarch when he published his

sequence of poems: ​Canzoniere​ (that contained 366 poems of

which 317 were love sonnets to a mistress Laura). This work

became a European bestseller which led the sonnet on its way

to being an influential poetry form for future poets ​(Strand &

Boland, 2001)​.

The Petrarchan sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines

composed in an octave and sestet written in iambic pentameter. The octave follows a rhyme

scheme of ​abbaabba​ which is concluded by the sestet follows a rhyme scheme of ​cdecde

(Houlahan, 2019)​.
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The sonnet took two hundred years from its birth in Sicily before it made an impact in

England. The sonnet was introduced to English literature by Thomas Wyatt who mastered the

form and added a rhyming couplet to the Petrarchan form. Earl of Surrey (an English poet)

introduced more rhymes to the sonnet thus allowing the form to flow more freely ​(Strand &

Boland, 2001)​. By Shakespeare’s time the loudest component of the sonnet was the rhyming

couplet which aided in the development of the Shakespearean sonnet. In Shakespeare's sonnet

sequence, the majority of his sonnets were 14 lines poems composed of three quatrains in the

​ hich was juxtaposed against the rhyming couplet ​gg ​(Strand &
rhyme scheme of ​abab cdcd efef w

Boland, 2001)​. This is the form formally known as the Shakespearean sonnet whose intricate

rhyme scheme lends itself to a plethora of images to develop lyrically to the conclusion that is

posed by the rhyming couplet ​(Strand & Boland, 2001)​.

Shakespearean Sonnet V Petrearchean Sonnet

Shakespearean Sonnet Petrarchan Sonnet

1. 14 lines 1. 14 lines

2. Usually written in iambic pentameter 2. Usually written in iambic pentameter

3. Written in Three Quatrains followed 3. Written in an octave concluded by a

by a rhyming couplet sestet

4. Rhyme Scheme of ​abab cdcd efef gg 4. Rhyme Scheme of ​abbaabba cdecde

The Petrarchan sonnet structure generally posed an emotion, mood or intellectual

question in the octave which was in turn addressed in the concluding answer of the sestet ​(Strand

& Boland, 2001)​. The Shakespearean sonnet breaks away from the intellectual and persuasive
Shakespearean Sonnet

use of the Petrarchan sonnet as its rhyming couplet lends itself to s​ummarizing the issue or

occasion of the poem as well as emphasizes the theme in a dramatic and impactful way

(McGuire, 1987 and Houlahan, 2019)​. The Petrarchan sonnet is academic and inquisitive in

nature whereas the Shakespearean sonnet is free flowing in its emotionality and dramatic in its

ending ​(Strand & Boland, 2001).

Example of a Shakespearean Sonnet:

(Figure 2 [Image] Strand & Boland)

The Sonnet featured above is ​Sonnet 18​ omf Shakespeare’s sonnet sequence. It follows

the traditional rhyme scheme of the Shakespearean sonnet.

Shakespearean Sonnet

Example of a Petrarchan Sonnet:

(Figure 3 [Image] Strand & Boland)

The sonnet featured above is written in the style of the Petrarchan Sonnet yet changes the

rhyme scheme from ​abbaabba cdecde t​ o ​abbaabba cdcdcd.​ This sonnet was written by John

Milton who wrote the novel ​Paradise Lost.​

Sonnet Sequence

The true definition of a Sonnet sequence is debated amongst scholars but in simplicity it

is a grouping of sonnets that generally translates a specific narrative or emotion throughout its

structure. The debate of this term originates from a letter poet Rossetti wrote to Cain Hall that
Shakespearean Sonnet

suggested that Cain Hall should title his anthology of sonnets “​A Sonnet Sequence from Elder to

Modern Work”​(Going, 1947)​. Cain Hall rejected this suggestion so Rossetti published his

collection of sonnets under the title of “​The House of Life: ‘A Sonnet Sequence’”.​ Thus the term

sonnet sequence would signify a series or cycle of sonnets. When Victorian poets picked up this

term they used it to signify a short collection of related sonnets. This meant that the sonnets in a

sonnet collection were unified in some nature such as a chronological narrative through the

sonnets or the progression of emotion ​(Going, 1947).

Sonnet sequence is a collection of poems that may be arranged in such a way that would

tell a story.

A Contemporary Context:

Although reaching its peak popularity in the Victorian era, the sonnet has continued to

remain relevant to both scholars and poets in the Modern world. It is one of the few traditional

poetry forms that has transcended centuries which is due to the duality of being a poetry form

that lends itself to lyric and narrative ​(Strand & Boland, 2001)​. The fluidity of the sonnet has

allowed for many different kinds of sonnets to emerge from the two older forms such as the

Spenserian sonnet ​(Strand & Boland, 2001)​. The Spencerian sonnet follows the traditional 14

line format while changing the Shakesperian rhyme scheme of ​abab cdcd efef gg t​ o a tighter

abab bcbc cdcd ee r​ hyme scheme ​(McGuire, 1987)​ . This form allows for the sonnet to have the

dramatic ending seen in the Shakespearian sonnet while restricting the three quatrains to an

interlocking rhyme. Scholars argue that because of the manipulability of the sonnet, it manages

to stay relevant throughout generations ​(Strand & Boland, 2001)​.

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References

​Going, W. (1947). The Term Sonnet Sequence. ​Modern Language Notes,​ ​62​(6), 400-402.

doi:10.2307/2909278

Houlahan, M. (2019). Curnow’s Sonnets. ​Journal of New Zealand Literature (JNZL),​ (37.2),

75-91. doi:10.2307/26816990

McGuire, P. (1987). Shakespeare's Non-Shakespearean Sonnets. ​Shakespeare Quarterly,​ ​38​(3),

304-319. doi:10.2307/2870505

Petrarch Canzoniere. [Online Image]. Oregon Digital​.​ University of Oregon.

https://oregondigital.org/sets/petrarch/oregondigital:gf85nb56b#page/2/mode/1up

Strand, M. Boland, E. (2001), The Making of a Poem. New York. ​Norton & Company.

Strand, M. Boland, E. [Image] (2001), The Making of a Poem. New York. ​Norton & Company.

The main techniques that I employed in my extended definition is the use of white space,

partitioning, and graphics. I used white space by adding an extra line between each main section

which allows for the reader to make a clear distinction between all of the sections which makes

the reading experience less stressful. I used partitioning by breaking my definitions into large

sections with headers that were in bold and underlined and then chunking the sunsections with

underlined text or bullet points. I used images layered with text to display the Rhyme Scheme of

the different poetry forms (see Figures 2 and 3) as well as inserted an image of Petrarch’s

Canzoniere to provide a visual aid to the ​History​ section of the definition.