Type of Sonnet

Types of Sonnets

★★Italian Sonnets

Sonnet can be Italian, with the lines being divided into a group of eight, called an octave and a group of six, called a sestet.

Giacomo da Lentini is responsible for creating the Italian sonnet. He penned almost 250 sonnets and others who wrote sonnets include Petrarca, Alighieri, Cavalcanti, and Michelangelo.

In an Italian sonnet, there is a “volta” or “turn” which signals the change from the proposition to its resolution. It usually appears in the ninth line.

The rhyme schemes for the octave in Lentini sonnets is a-b-a-b, a-b-a-b, but later, all sonnets were written with the a-b-b-a, a-b-b-a rhyme scheme. The sestet is either c-d-e-c-d-e or c-d-c-c-d-c. A later variation was c-d-c-d-c-d.

★★English Sonnets

English or Shakespearean sonnet examples also have 14 lines, but are grouped differently. There are three quatrains, which have four lines each, followed by a couplet, which is two lines. The rhyme scheme is a-b-a-b, c-d-c-d, e-f-e-f, g-g.

In 1591, Sir Philip Sidney's sonnet Astrophel and Stella established the form of the English sonnet. Other notable authors are Spenser, Drayton, Greville, and, of course, Shakespeare. Even though Shakespeare did not create the sonnet, he was most prolific, writing 154 of them. In the English sonnet, the “volta” appears in the third quatrain.   

Tips on Writing a Sonnet

Here are some helpful hints to get you started writing a sonnet.

● Read through a few sonnets, paying attention to the rhyme scheme and the rhythm (iambic pentameter).

● Select the subject matter. Love of nature or love between people were common themes; but, a sonnet can be on any topic you choose.

● Decide on the English or Italian form and think about the situation that will start the sonnet and the resolution or conclusion that will end it.

● Compose each section, following the rhyme scheme, and using iambic pentameter.

Don’t give up. It may be hard, but will be easier once the creative juices begin to flow.