The Sonnet
The sonnet, perhaps the most recognised form of poetry and usually synonomous with love. There are plenty examples of sonnets on this website, but how does one write a sonnet?
Hopefully this page will explain more. We’ll start with the basics:
A sonnet contains 14 lines of Iambic pentameter. How these lines are divided and the rhyming pattern depends on the type of sonnet you are writing (typically petrachan, shakespearean or modern, though other forms exist). A sonnet will also typically contain a volta - or turn. This is a usually subtle device that changes the direction of the sonnet. It can be a change in theme or idea. In shakespearean sonnets it is usually placed around line 8/9.
Types of Sonnet
- The Shakesperean Sonnet
Typically this type sonnet is made up of three 4 line stanzas (quatrains) and one rhyming couplet. It has the following rhyme pattern:
a b a b
c b c d
e f e f
g g
- The Petrachan (Italian) Sonnet
This type of sonnet contains one octave (8 lines) and one sestet (six lines). It has the following rhyme pattern:
Octave:
a b b a a b b a
Sestet:
(any of)
c d c d c d
c d d c d c
c d e c d e
c d e c e d
c d c e d c
- The Modern Sonnet
The modern sonnet strays away from such strict rhyme pattern, though still usually contains 14 lines of iambic pentameter. This is usually seen as the basic requirement for it to constitute as a sonnet.
Examples Of Sonnets:
Petrachan: London, 1802 by William Wordsworth
Shakesperean: Sonnets 1 - 30 by William Shakespeare
Modern Sonnet: Sonnet Reversed by Rupert Brooke