Sonnet pp

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Introduction to Sonnets
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What is a Sonnet?

• highly-structured, 14-line poem to explore issues
  such as the fleeting nature of love and the
  aching questions of morality
• popularized by Francisco Petrarch (1304-1374)
• contains iambic pentameter and set rhyme scheme

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Iambic Pentameter

• each line has 5 metric units, with each foot
  consisting of an unstressed syllable (marked ?)
  followed by a stressed syllable (marked )

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Sonnet Forms

• Three major sonnet forms include
• a. the Italian or Petrarchan Sonnet
• b. the English or Shakespearean Sonnet
• c. the Spenserian Sonnet

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The Italian/Petrarchan Sonnet

• Octave (first 8 lines)- present a problem or
  situation
• Sestet (last 6 lines)- provide an answer or
  solution to the problem
• Rhyme Scheme
• abbaabba/ cdcdcd

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Sonnet XII by Francesco Petrarch If my life
find strength enough to fight The grievous battle
of each passing day, That I may meet your gaze,
years from today, Lady, when your eyes have lost
their light, and when your golden curls have
turned to white, And vanished are your wreaths
and green array, And when your youthful hue has
fled away Whose beauty makes me tremble in its
sight, perhaps then Love will overcome my
fears, enough that I may let me secret rise and
tell you what Ive suffered all these years
and if no flame be kindled in your eyes, at least
I may be granted for my tears the comfort of a
few belated sighs.
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The English/ Shakespearean Sonnet

• Three Quatrains (3 sets of 4-lined stanzas)- more
  detailed development of a question or problem
• One Couplet (group of 2 lines)- quick solution
• Rhyme Scheme
• abab/cdcd/efef /gg

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(No Transcript)
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Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare My mistress'
eyes are nothing like the sunCoral is far more
red than her lips' redIf snow be white, why
then her breasts are dunIf hairs be wires,
black wires grow on her head.I have seen roses
damask'd, red and white,But no such roses see I
in her cheeks And in some perfumes is there
more delightThan in the breath that from my
mistress reeks.I love to hear her speak, yet
well I knowThat music hath a far more pleasing
soundI grant I never saw a goddess goMy
mistress, when she walks, treads on the
ground   And yet, by heaven, I think my love as
rare   As any she belied with false compare.
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The Spenserian Sonnet

• Three Quatrains (3 sets of 4-lined stanzas)- more
  detailed development of a question or problem
• One Couplet (group of 2 lines)- quick solution
• Interlocking Rhyme Scheme
• (pushes sonnet toward final couplet)
• abab/bcbc/cdcd /ee

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(No Transcript)
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Tips for Reading Sonnets

• Always read a sonnet at least three times
• 1. Read silently for content
• 2. Read aloud to hear the meter and rhyme
  patterns
• 3. Read to discover the puzzle of the poem, or
  the problem the poet is trying to convey. Look
  for the poets shift in focus and solution.