Sonnets: Week 22
Sonnets: Week 22
Sonnets: Week 22
Week 22
SONNETS
Derivation
Length 14 lines
In 1327, the sight of a woman called Laura in the church of Sainte-Claire d'Avignon awoke in Petrarch a
lasting passion. Her realistic presentation in his poems contrasts with the clichés of troubadours and courtly love.
Her presence causes him unspeakable joy, but his unrequited love creates unendurable desires. There is little definite
information in Petrarch's work concerning Laura, except she is fair-haired and lovely to look at, with a modest,
dignified bearing. She is believed to have been married to another man, thus perpetuating Petrarch’s longing.
Structure
Petrarchan sonnets, also called Italian sonnets, are distinguishable by their structure: first an octave (eight lines), then
a sestet (six lines) following the rhyme scheme abbaabba cdecde OR abbaabba cdcdcd.
Petrarchan sonnets present problems, pose questions, and express ideas in the octave, and then resolve the problems
and answer the questions in the sestet. Typically, the ninth line creates a "turn" or volta, which signals the move from
proposition to resolution. Even in sonnets that don't strictly follow the problem/resolution structure, the ninth line
still often marks a "turn" by signaling a change in the tone, mood, or stance of the poem.
The Shakespearean Sonnet
Background
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an English poet and playwright widely regarded as the greatest
writer of the English language, one of the greatest writers in Western literature, and the world's pre-eminent
dramatist. He wrote about 38 plays and 154 sonnets, as well as a variety of other poems. Already a popular writer in
his own lifetime, Shakespeare's reputation became increasingly celebrated after his death. Shakespeare is the most
quoted writer in the literature and history of the English-speaking world. He is often considered England's national
poet and is referred to as ―The Bard of Avon,‖ ―The Bard,‖ or ―The Swan of Avon.‖
Also called English sonnets, Shakespeare's sonnets comprise a collection of 154 poems that deal with such
themes as love, beauty, politics, and mortality. The sonnets were written over a period of several years (beginning in
the early 1590’s), and all but two first appeared in a 1609 collection entitled Shakespeare's Sonnets.
Structure
Shakespearean sonnets are constructed of three quatrains and a couplet composed in iambic pentameter
with the rhyme scheme abab cdcd efef gg. Shakespearean sonnets express related ideas or examples in the quatrains,
and sum up the poet’s message in the couplet.
The Spenserian Sonnet
Background
Edmund Spenser (1552-1599) was an English poet and Poet Laureate (a poet officially appointed by a
government to compose poems for state occasions). The Spenserian sonnet was named for him and is a variant on the
English (Shakespearean) sonnet.
Structure
Spenserian sonnets follow the rhyme scheme abab bcbc cdcd ee. The form is treated as three quatrains
connected by an interlocking rhyme scheme and followed by a couplet.
da Dum | da Dum | da Dum | da Dum | da Dum
AY 2020-2021