Italian and English Sonnet Forms

Sonnet form invented in 13 th century Italy Italian poet Francesco Petrarch Poems dedicated to an unknown “Laura” Idealized in Petrarch’s poems. Seen as beautiful, ideally virtuous and permanently unavailable. THE ITALIAN SONNET

A Convention: Repeated theme or subject. Love is excruciatingly painful The beautiful and virtuous lady is cruel in rejecting the poet’s love Love is likened to a religion which raises and inspires the lover. Christian and mythological imagery is mixed together. The eyes are “windows to the soul” and love begins at first sight. The poet is subject to extremes of feeling and conflict—the “war within the self”. The poetry will outlive the poet. “PETRARCHAN CONVENTIONS”:

Sir Thomas Wyatt ( ) and Henry Howard, the Earl of Surrey ( ) Also used religious imagery to: Convey the purity of lover’s passion Used Christian and pagan symbols. The English Sonnet made famous by: Sir Edmund Spenser and William Shakespeare. THE ENGLISH SONNET

A 14 line poem written in Iambic Pentameter and a carefully patterned rhyme scheme. The Italian Sonnet: 14 lines broken into two sections: An octave (8 lines) which rhymes abbaabba, and a sestet (6 lines) which rhymes cddcee. Rhyme scheme: abbaabba cddcee The English Sonnet: Consists of 14 lines broken up into 3 quatrains (4 lines) which rhymes abab cdcd efef and a couplet (2 lines) which rhymes gg. Rhyme scheme: abab cdcd efef gg THE SONNET FORM

The poet uses the structure of the poem as part of the language. Can be divided into two sections: 1st section: Presents the theme, raises an issue or doubt 2 nd Section: answers the question, resolves the problem or drives home the poem’s point. The shift or change in the poem is called the turn or volta and helps move forward the emotional action of the poem quickly. THE SONNET FORM--MEANING

In the Italian form the poet develops subject in the octet and then executes a turn at the beginning of the sestet. The sestest releases the tension built up in the octave. THE ITALIAN SONNET--FORM

Iambic Pentameter is a pattern of 10 syllables per line Iamb= “a foot” Consists of 2 syllables (da Dum). Pentameter= 5 metered feet da Dum/ da Dum/ da Dum/ da Dum/ da Dum IAMBIC PENTAMETER

2 But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? 3 It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. 4 Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, PRACTICING IAMBIC PENTAMETER

Read the following sonnet and determine what type of sonnet it is: My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; a Coral is far more red than her lips' red; b If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; a If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. b I have seen roses damasked, red and white, c But no such roses see I in her cheeks; d And in some perfumes is there more delight c Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. d I love to hear her speak, yet well I know e That music hath a far more pleasing sound; f I grant I never saw a goddess go; e My mistress when she walks treads on the ground. f And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare g As any she belied with false compare. g EXAMPLE OF SONNET

The Information in this powerpoint was taken from: Folger Shakespeare Library The Sonnet [PPT] teachers.sduhsd.k12.ca.us/sfarris/Files/.../Poetry/The%20Sonnet.ppt WORKS CITED