Etymology of Sonnet
The term “sonnet” is derived from the Italian word sonetto. It means “little song.” The term first appeared in the 13th century to refer to a short poem or song, but it came to be associated specifically with a type of 14-line poem popularized by Italian poet Petrarch in the 14th century.
Meanings of Sonnet
It is a poem that typically comprises 14 lines in iambic pentameter. It has a specific rhyme scheme and specific structure. There are different variations of the form, but the most common is the English or Shakespearean one. It is divided into three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and a final rhyming couplet (two-line stanza).
Sonnet in Grammar
Grammatically, it is a singular noun, and the verb used with it depends on whether it is being referred to in the singular or plural form.
When referring to a single , the verb should be in the singular form, for example:
- This sonnet is written in iambic pentameter.
- Shakespeare’s sonnet 18 begins with the famous line, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”
However, when referring to multiple sonnets, the verb should be in the plural form, for example:
- He has written dozens of sonnets over the years.
- The sonnets of Elizabeth Barrett Browning are considered some of the finest in English literature.
Definition of Sonnet
As a literary genre, it is a type of poem that consists of 14 lines. It is often written in iambic pentameter, with a specific rhyme scheme and structure.
Types of Sonnets
| Type of Sonnet | Origin and Name | Rhyme Scheme and Other Features |
| Petrarchan | Named after Petrarch | Octave (ABBAABBA) and Sestet (CDCDCD or CDECDE) |
| Shakespearean | Named after Shakespeare | Three quatrains (ABAB CDCD EFEF) and final couplet (GG) |
| Spenserian | Named after Edmund Spenser | Three quatrains (ABAB BCBC CDCD) and final couplet (EE) |
| Miltonic | Named after John Milton | Mix of Petrarchan and Shakespearean sonnets (ABBAABBA CDCDCD or CDECDE) |
| Sonnet Sequence | Series of linked or thematic sonnets | Varies depending on the chosen form of sonnet in the sequence |
| Sonnet Redoublé | Comprised of 15 sonnets sequence but last one last sonnet in the sequence is made up of all of the first lines of the previous fourteen sonnet | Final line repeats the first line (ABAB BCBC CDCD EE) |
| Terza Rima | Written in terza rima | Comprises four tercets as ABA BCB CDC DED and EE |
| Curtal Sonnet | Developed by Gerard Manley Hopkins | 10 and a half lines (ABCABC DBCDCD) |
| Onegin Stanza | Based on the Onegin stanza from “Eugene Onegin” | 14 lines (ABABCCDDEFFEGG) |
| Modern | Deviations from traditional form | Varies; may have changes in meter, rhyme scheme, or structure, but still retains essence of sonnet form. |
Literary Examples of Sonnet
- Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare
This is the most popular one in the English language. It is also referred with its opening line, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” Here, Shakespeare compares his beloved to a summer’s day, but argues that she is more beautiful and eternal than the fleeting beauty of summer.
- Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare
Another famous Shakespearean sonnet, this is often quoted at weddings for its celebration of true love. It begins, “Let me not to the marriage of true minds / Admit impediments.” It goes on to define true love as an unchanging force that can withstand any obstacle.
- “How Do I Love Thee?” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
This popular sonnet is part of Barrett Browning’s Sonnets from the Portuguese, a sequence of 44 sonnets she wrote to her husband. Here in this poetic form, she expresses her love in a series of hyperbolic comparisons, saying that she loves him “to the depth and breadth and height / My soul can reach.”
- “Death Be Not Proud” by John Donne
This Petrarchan form is part of Donne’s “Holy Sonnets,” a series of 19 sonnets that explore themes of death, sin, and redemption. In this sonnet, Donne personifies death as a powerless figure, declaring that it should not be feared because it is merely a transition to eternal life.
- “On His Blindness” by John Milton
This Petrarchan form is one of Milton’s most popular poems. It comprises musings of Milton on his blindness, which he sees as a limitation that prevents him from using his talent freely. The sonnet ends with the famous line, “They also serve who only stand and wait,” which is suggestive of those who are unable to actively participate in life can still find purpose and meaning.
Suggested Readings
- Burt, Stephen. The Forms of Youth: Twentieth-Century Poetry and Adolescence. Columbia UP, 2007.
- Don Paterson. Reading Shakespeare’s Sonnets: A New Commentary. Faber & Faber, 2010.
- Vendler, Helen. The Art of Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Belknap Press, 1997.
- Wordsworth, William. The Major Works. Edited by Stephen Gill, Oxford UP, 2000.