Sonnet
Literary term · say it SON-it
A sonnet is a fourteen-line poem that usually follows a set rhyme scheme and rhythm. It often develops a thought or feeling before reaching a turn: a change in direction, a fresh answer, or a new way of seeing the subject.
Three common kinds of sonnet
Shakespearean sonnet
This form has three four-line groups followed by a closing pair of rhyming lines. Its usual rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, and the final pair often draws a conclusion or changes the reader's view.
In Sonnet 18 from Sonnets, the speaker compares a loved person with summer, then considers how beauty fades. The closing pair claims that the poem will keep that person's beauty alive.
In Sonnets by William Shakespeare
Petrarchan sonnet
This form divides into an eight-line section and a six-line section. The first usually rhymes ABBAABBA; the second has a more flexible pattern, and often answers or rethinks the opening.
In Sonnet 43 from Sonnets from the Portuguese, the speaker describes love through its spiritual reach and its place in everyday life. The ending looks beyond life itself, imagining love continuing after death.
In Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Spenserian sonnet
This form links three four-line groups through shared rhymes, then ends with a rhyming pair. Its rhyme scheme is ABAB BCBC CDCD EE.
In Sonnet 75 from Amoretti, the speaker writes his beloved's name on a beach, but waves wash it away. Their exchange leads to his claim that poetry can preserve their love against time.
In Amoretti by Edmund Spenser
How to spot a sonnet
- Count the lines and look for fourteen.
- Mark the end rhymes to find groups of four, eight, six, or two lines.
- Look for a point where the thought changes direction.
Does a sonnet have to rhyme?
Traditional sonnets rhyme, but some later sonnets loosen or abandon that rule. In the best-known classic forms, the rhyme pattern helps organize the thought, so noticing which lines rhyme can help explain how the poem's ideas fit together.
Does a sonnet have to be about love?
No, a sonnet can explore almost any subject. Although love is a common theme, poets also use sonnets to consider religion, politics, nature, grief, and time. The name describes the poem's form rather than a required topic.
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