What is a Sonnet?
What is a Sonnet?
Do not stand at my grave and weep
by Mary Elizabeth Frye
Do not stand at my grave and weep:
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starshine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry:
I am not there; I did not die.
This poem is an example of a sonnet. A sonnet is a form of poetry that has 14 lines.
Most sonnets also rhyme. For example, the sonnet above has the following rhyme scheme:
AABB CCDD EEFF GG
Many sonnets also contain something called a volta. A volta is a turn of events in the sonnet. In an Italian/Petrarchan sonnet, this turn occurs after the 8th line. In other sonnets, it often occurs after the 12th line.
There are three main types of sonnets. The type of sonnet helps determine the length of the lines and the rhyme scheme. The three types of sonnets include:
- Italian/Petrarchan
- Spenserian
- English/Shakespearean
Italian/Petrarchan Sonnets Italian/Petrarchan sonnets are organized into an octave (group of 8 lines) and a sestet (group of 6 lines).
Each octave has the following rhyme scheme: abba abba
Each sestet has one of the following rhyme schemes: cdcdcd, cdecde, cddcdc, cdcedc
An example of an Italian/Petrarchan sonnet is:
When I Consider How My Light Is Spent
by John Milton
When I consider how my light is spent
Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent which is death to hide
Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide;
"Doth God exact day-labor, light denied?"
I fondly ask; but Patience to prevent
That murmur, soon replies, "God doth not need
Either man's work or his own gifts; who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
Is kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed
And post o'er land and ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and wait."
Spenserian Sonnets
Spenserian sonnets feature four distinct groups of lines. Each group of lines develops a different idea and the final two lines provide the theme of or commentary of the sonnet as a whole.
A Spenserian sonnet typically follows the rhyme scheme: abab bcbc cdcd ee
An example of a Spenserian sonnet is:
Amoretti
Edmund Spenser
What guile is this, that those her golden tresses
She doth attire under a net of gold;
And with sly skill so cunningly them dresses,
That which is gold or hair, may scarce be told?
Is it that men’s frail eyes, which gaze too bold,
She may entangle in that golden snare;
And being caught may craftily enfold
Their weaker hearts, which are not yet well aware?
Take heed therefore, mine eyes, how ye do stare
Henceforth too rashly on that guileful net,
In which if ever ye entrapped are,
Out of her bands ye by no means shall get.
Folly it were for any being free,
To covet fetters, though they golden be.
English/Shakespearean Sonnets
The English or Shakespearean sonnet is one of the most popular types of sonnet. It is made up of three quatrains (groups of four lines) and a couplet (a group of two lines).
This type of sonnet is often written using iambic pentameter, a type of meter that includes 10 beats per line.
The rhyme scheme of an English/Shakespearean sonnet is often: abab cdcd efef gg
An example of an English/Shakespearean sonnet is:
To Fanny
John Keats (1795-1821)
I cry your mercy–pity–love!–aye, love!
Merciful love that tantalizes not,
One-thoughted, never-wandering, guileless love,
Unmasked, and being seen–without a blot!
O! let me have thee whole,–all–all–be mine!
That shape, that fairness, that sweet minor zest
Of love, your kiss,–those hands, those eyes divine,
That warm, white, lucent, million-pleasured breast,–
Yourself–your soul–in pity give me all.
Withhold no atom’s atom or I die,
Or living on perhaps, your wretched thrall,
Forget, in the mist of idle misery,
Life’s purposes,–the palate of my mind
Losing its gist, and my ambition blind!
One of the most famous writers of sonnets was William Shakespeare. He wrote over 154 sonnets.
The practice questions and worksheet below will introduce you to one of his sonnets and help you learn a little more about this form of poetry.
Related Worksheets:
Related Lessons: