Other meanings of English sonnet
Poetic Forms
The English sonnet, also called the Shakespearean sonnet, is a fourteen-line poem developed in England during the Renaissance, distinguished by its rhyme scheme of three quatrains and a closing couplet. It is commonly associated with William Shakespeare, who wrote 154 sonnets in this form, but it originated earlier with poets like Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey.
The English sonnet consists of fourteen lines written in iambic pentameter, with a rhyme scheme of abab cdcd efef gg. Unlike the Italian sonnet, which is divided into an octave and sestet, the English form is organized into three quatrains and a final couplet. The couplet often serves as a summary, turn, or epigrammatic conclusion, providing a resolution to the argument developed in the quatrains. This structure allows for a more flexible development of ideas, as each quatrain can introduce a new variation on the theme before the couplet delivers a decisive closing statement.
The English sonnet emerged in the early 16th century, adapted from the Italian sonnet by Sir Thomas Wyatt, who translated Petrarch's sonnets. Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, introduced the rhyme scheme that became characteristic of the English form, replacing the Italian octave-sestet division with three quatrains and a couplet. Shakespeare later popularized the form, and his 154 sonnets, published in 1609, remain the most famous examples. Other notable practitioners include Edmund Spenser, whose 'Amoretti' used a variant rhyme scheme (abab bcbc cdcd ee), and later poets such as John Milton, who experimented with the form in the 17th century.
English sonnets typically explore themes of love, beauty, mortality, and time. Shakespeare's sonnets address a young man, a dark lady, and a rival poet, creating a complex narrative of desire and jealousy. The form often employs a volta, or turn, which in the English sonnet usually occurs at the start of the final couplet, providing a shift in perspective or a resolution. The couplet's epigrammatic nature allows for witty or philosophical conclusions, as seen in Sonnet 18's famous closing line: 'So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, / So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.'
Beyond Shakespeare, the English sonnet has been used for political and religious commentary. John Donne's 'Holy Sonnets' employ the English form to explore spiritual anguish, while Milton's sonnets addressed political issues such as the massacre in Piedmont. In the 19th century, Elizabeth Barrett Browning's 'Sonnets from the Portuguese' used the Italian form, but many Victorian poets, including Dante Gabriel Rossetti, experimented with the English structure. The form also influenced modernists like W. H. Auden, who wrote sonnets with irregular meter. A notable edge case is the 'curtal sonnet' invented by Gerard Manley Hopkins, which is a shortened form but not strictly English. Additionally, the English sonnet has been adapted into other languages, such as the German 'Shakespeare-Sonett' used by poets like Rainer Maria Rilke.
The English sonnet's flexibility has made it a lasting form for both personal and public expression.
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