Sonnets

A sonnet is a fourteen-line lyric poem, typically written in iambic pentameter. Its subject is usually a single emotion or idea, explored with a clear turn or volta. Two principal traditional forms developed in the 14th to 16th centuries: the Italian or Petrarchan sonnet and the English or Shakespearean sonnet. The form has been adapted by poets across centuries and languages, and it remains a common vehicle for love, philosophy, and meditation.

The Italian or Petrarchan sonnet originated in Italy in the 14th century, associated with Petrarch. It divides the poem into an octave (the first eight lines) presenting the situation or problem, and a sestet (the last six lines) offering a resolution or counterpoint. Typical rhyme schemes include octave: abbaabba, and sestet with cdecde or cdcdcd. The volta, a turn in argument or perspective, usually occurs between the octave and sestet.

The English or Shakespearean sonnet emerged in the 16th century, shaped by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, and became the dominant form in English. It comprises three quatrains and a final couplet, with a rhyme scheme of abab cdcd efef gg. The volta is often placed before the final couplet, which provides a concluding thought or twist. Notable English sonneteers include Shakespeare and John Donne, as well as Spenser with the related but distinct Spenserian form (abab bcbc cdcd ee).

In later periods, poets experimented with the sonnet's structure and themes. The form has been used in sonnet cycles or sequences, such as the Petrarchan-inspired sonnet exchanges, and in translations. The sonnet remains a flexible miniature form for formal precision and expressive restraint, with contemporary poets writing sonnets that blend traditional meter with free verse or modern topics.