The Sonnet

 The word “sonnet” comes from the Italian word
sonnetto, meaning “little song.”
 A sonnet is a lyric poem that almost always consists of fourteen lines (usually printed as a single stanza) and that typically follows one of several conventional rhyme schemes.
 Sonnets may address a range of issues or themes, but love, the original subject of the sonnet, is perhaps still the most common.

 Due to the rigid rules concerning rhyme and rhythm, (good) sonnets are considered one of the more challenging poetic forms.
 Two major types of sonnets exist: the
Shakespearean (or English) sonnet and the
Italian(or Petrarchan) sonnet.
 Both sonnets employ a rigid rhyme scheme and outline….

 The Shakespearean sonnet:
 Consists of 14 lines
 Is divided into three quatrains and a couplet
 Has the following rhyme scheme: ababcdcdefefgg
 Typically employ iambic pentameter

 Iambic pentameter refers to a line of poetry containing five iambs (one unstressed, one stressed syllable).
 In other words, an iamb is a metrical foot consisting of two syllables, one unaccented followed by an accented one.
 The stress of each syllable in the line follows the rhythm of a heartbeat (for the most part):
“da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM”

Fourteen
Lines
Total
E
F
E
F
G
G
B
C
D
C
D
A
B
A
First
Quatrain
Second
Quatrain
Third Quatrain
Concluding Couplet (also called the “Turn”)

 The Italian sonnet:
 Consists of 14 lines
 Is divided into an octave (8 lines) and a sestet (6 lines)
 Has the following rhyme scheme: abbaabba (octave) and cdecde (sestet)
 The octave typically poses a question or dilemma that the sestet answers or resolves.
 Typically employ iambic pentameter

Fourteen
Lines
Total
E
C
C
D
D
E
B
B
A
A
A
A
B
B
Octave
Sestet