The Sonnet
Today, I want to talk about sonnets. Whatever you prefer to read or to write, I think there’s value in learning to write poetry using fixed forms. It’s like hanging your hat and coat on a rack, rather than tossing them artfully across the sofa like a decorative throw. It’s a discipline that requires you to think imaginatively within strict constraints.
“To have something to say ; to say it under pretty strict limits of form and very strict ones of space ; to say it forcibly ; to say it beautifully ; these are the four great requirements of the poet in general ; but they are never set so clearly, so imperatively, so urgently before any variety of poet as before the sonneteer.” [A History Of English Prosody Vol. 1 : Saintsbury George : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive]
I used to say that writing a grammatically correct, properly punctuated Tweet in exactly 280 characters was an excellent exercise in writing tight, chopping off every unnecessary character. Writing formal verse is similar, in that respect; every word must pack a punch and land it.
The rules of the form are deceptively simple. Two major sonnet forms are the Shakespearean, or English, sonnet and the Petrarchan, or Italian, sonnet. These are the basis for all variations:
-
Shakespearean / English sonnet:
-
14 lines (divided into three quatrains – 4 lines each, and a couplet – 2 lines).
-
Meter: Iambic pentameter: da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM.
-
Rhyme scheme: ABAB // CDCD // EFEF // GG
-
Typically, there is a volta – a turn or shift in thinking or emphasis in the third quatrain. You may want to think about starting with the word, “But…” or “Yet…” or “And yet…” though you needn’t signal the turn of thought so obviously.
-
-
Petrarchan / Italian sonnet:
-
14 lines (divided into an octave – 8 lines, and a sestet – 6 lines)
-
Meter: Iambic pentameter: da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM.
-
Rhyme scheme: ABBAABBA // CDECDE or CDCCDC
-
Typically, there is a volta – a turn or shift in thinking or emphasis at the start of the sestet. You may want to think about starting with the word, “But…” or “Yet…” or “And yet…” though you needn’t signal the turn of thought so obviously.
-
The Miltonic and Spenserian sonnets involve minor variations of these two, and the four together are generally regarded as the major sonnet forms; however, there are many varieties of “sonnet,” and you can peruse 179 of them at Every Sonnet – Just another Poets Collective site. Can you invent one that doesn’t already exist? Can you write one that is achingly beautiful but conforms perfectly to the prescribed rhyme and meter?
Remember: Practice never makes perfect. But practice makes good. Perfectionism never means attaining perfection; it just means you’ll die (and drive others nuts) trying.
Question: If reading formal verse, is there a form you prefer?
Critique and Feedback FTW!
In a previous post, I asked which term readers preferred for “constructive criticism”: criticism, critique, feedback, or analysis. Critique and feedback tied for the win. It was a very small sample size, though, so before giving any, I suggest asking the recipient which term they’re most comfortable with.
I don’t want any of you having to enter the witness protection program like R____:
0 Comments