The Sonnet A poetic form consisting of fourteen lines of 5-foot iambic verse. Originally composed in Italian, the Italian sonnet form was perfected by Petrarch (1304-1374). The word sonnet means " a little song" and is therefore a lyric poem. The English or Shakespearean sonnet is grouped in three quatrains (with six alternating rhymes) followed by a detached rhymed couplet. Rhyme Scheme: abab cdcd efef gg The Spenserian sonnet links the quatrains using an interlocking rhyme scheme. Spencerian Rhyme Scheme: abab bcbc cdcd ee The sonnet is often set up as a question or problem that must be answered or solved. The solution to the problem often is set so as to turn the problem on its head. The final couplet is the closing lines that states the unexpected solution in a witty saying or epigram. QUATRAIN Four lines of verse, usually with a rhyme scheme of abab or its variant, xbyb. It is the most common stanzaic form. ~ Links ~ Sonnet Central - an archive of English sonnets, commentary, and relevant web links |
