Shakespearean Sonnets Introduction and Discussion

Background Shakespeare’s sonnets were all written between 1592 and 1598. During this period, there was an outbreak of plague so many of the theatres were shut down, thus he took a break from writing plays. Sonnets started out in Italy about 300 years before Shakespeare started writing them, although he did it in his own way.

Structure Sonnets are structured poems with 14 lines. There are three groups (quatrains) of four lines each. The last two lines of the poem are called a “couplet”- two lines that stand alone and rhyme. The couplet often offers a twist, or a new perspective at the end.

Iambic Pentameter Shakespearean sonnets are written in a rhythm called Iambic Pentameter. An “iamb” is unit of rhythm that has two syllables- one unstressed and one stressed (think of the word to-DAY). A line of iambic pentameter has five iambs, or 10 syllables. But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?

Iambic Pentameter

Rhyme Scheme The rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet has alternating rhymes in each quatrain with the 2-line couplet rhyming at the end. A B C D E F G

Themes Most of Shakespeare’s sonnets have themes of the following: unrequited love, having children to achieve immortality, the passage (and destruction) of time, and beauty. The general theme of most of these comes down to love and romance and sometimes friendship. Most scholars believe that Shakespeare had two subjects of his poems- a young man and a young, beautiful woman.

Sonnet 148 O me! what eyes hath love put in my head, Which have no correspondence with true sight, Or if they have, where is my judgment fled, That censures falsely what they see aright? If that be fair whereon my false eyes dote, What means the world to say it is not so? If it be not, then love doth well denote, Love's eye is not so true as all men's: no, How can it? O how can love's eye be true, That is so vexed with watching and with tears? No marvel then though I mistake my view, The sun itself sees not, till heaven clears. O cunning love, with tears thou keep'st me blind, Lest eyes well-seeing thy foul faults should find.

Reflection Shakespeare changed the format of the sonnet to reflect his own style and creativity- he upset “traditional” style and made something new Think about a singer-songwriter, artist or athlete who changed the traditions in their particular field. How did they do this?