The SonnetThe Sonnet

A sonnet isA sonnet is

a lyric poema lyric poem consisting of fourteen linesconsisting of fourteen lines written in iambic pentameterwritten in iambic pentameter with a definite rhyme schemewith a definite rhyme scheme and a definite thought structureand a definite thought structure

A lyric poemA lyric poem

Deals with Deals with emotions, emotions, feelingsfeelings

Iambic pentameter consists ofIambic pentameter consists of

five measures, units, or meters, offive measures, units, or meters, of iambsiambs

An An iambiamb is a metrical foot is a metrical foot consisting ofconsisting of

an unaccented syllable an unaccented syllable UUfollowed by an accented followed by an accented

syllable syllable //..

U /U /a gaina gain

U / U / U / U / im mor tal izeim mor tal ize

Iambic pentameterIambic pentameter

U / U / U / U / U /U / U / U / U / U / One day I wrote her name u pon the strand,One day I wrote her name u pon the strand, U / U / U / U / U /U / U / U / U / U / But came the waves and wash ed it a way:But came the waves and wash ed it a way: U / U / U / U / U /U / U / U / U / U / A gain I wrote it with a sec ond hand,A gain I wrote it with a sec ond hand, U / U / U / U / U /U / U / U / U / U / But came the tide, and made my pains his preyBut came the tide, and made my pains his prey

Edmund Spenser, Amoretti, Sonnet 75 Edmund Spenser, Amoretti, Sonnet 75

1 2 3 4 5

Rhyme schemeRhyme scheme

Shakespearean Sonnet rhyme Shakespearean Sonnet rhyme scheme:scheme:

abab, cdcd, efef, ggabab, cdcd, efef, gg

Sonnet 18Sonnet 18

Shall I compare thee to a summer's dShall I compare thee to a summer's dayay??Thou art more lovely and more temperThou art more lovely and more temperateate::Rough winds do shake the darling buds of MRough winds do shake the darling buds of Mayay, , And summer's lease hath all too short a dAnd summer's lease hath all too short a dateate::Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shSometime too hot the eye of heaven shinesines, , And often is his gold complexion dAnd often is his gold complexion dimmedimmed,,And every fair from fair sometime declAnd every fair from fair sometime declinesines,,By chance, or nature's changing course untrBy chance, or nature's changing course untrimmedimmed::But thy eternal summer shall not fBut thy eternal summer shall not fadeade, , Nor lose possession of that fair thou Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'stow'st,,Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shNor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shadeade, , When in eternal lines to time thou grWhen in eternal lines to time thou grow'stow'st,,

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can sSo long as men can breathe, or eyes can seeee, , So long lives this, and this gives life to thSo long lives this, and this gives life to theeee..

ABABCDCDEFEFGG

Thought structureThought structure

Quatrain, quatrain, quatrain, coupletQuatrain, quatrain, quatrain, couplet

Each quatrain, four lines, Each quatrain, four lines, describes an idea or situation which describes an idea or situation which leads to a conclusion or response in leads to a conclusion or response in the couplet, two lines.the couplet, two lines.

Sonnet 18Sonnet 18

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?Thou art more lovely and more temperate:Thou art more lovely and more temperate:Rough windsRough winds do shake the darling buds of May, do shake the darling buds of May,And And summer's summer's lease hath all too short a datelease hath all too short a date::Sometime Sometime too hottoo hot the eye of heaven shines, the eye of heaven shines,And often is And often is his gold complexion dimmedhis gold complexion dimmed,,And And every fair from fair sometime declinesevery fair from fair sometime declines,,By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed:By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed:

ButBut thy thy eternaleternal summer summer shall not fade,shall not fade,Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'stNor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,,Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade,Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade,When in When in eternaleternal lines to time thou lines to time thou grow'stgrow'st,,

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,So long lives this, and this So long lives this, and this gives life to theegives life to thee..

The octave describes the ways in which the summer’s day is inferior to the beloved.

The sestet describes the ways in which the beloved is superior to the summer’s day.

Sonnet 29Sonnet 29When When in in disgracedisgrace with fortune with fortune and men's eyes and men's eyesI I all aloneall alone beweepbeweep my my outcastoutcast state, state,And And troubletrouble deafdeaf heaven with my heaven with my bootlessbootless criescries,,And look upon myself, and And look upon myself, and cursecurse my fate, my fate,Wishing meWishing me like to one more rich in hope, like to one more rich in hope,Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope,Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope,With what I most enjoy With what I most enjoy contented leastcontented least;;

YetYet in these thoughts my self almost despising, in these thoughts my self almost despising,Haply Haply I think on theeI think on thee, and then my state,, and then my state,Like to the Like to the larklark at break of day at break of day arisingarisingFrom sullen earth, From sullen earth, singssings hymnshymns at heaven's gate; at heaven's gate; For For thy thy sweet lovesweet love remembered such remembered such wealthwealth brings brings

That That then I scorn to change my state with kingsthen I scorn to change my state with kings. .

The diction of the octave implies the speaker’s self-pity and depression.

The sestet’s diction, in conrast, is joyful.

Sonnet 73Sonnet 73

That time of year thou mayst in me beholdWhen yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hangUpon those boughs which shake against the cold,Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.In me thou see'st the twilight of such dayAs after sunset fadeth in the west;Which by and by black night doth take away,Death's second self, that seals up all in rest. In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire,That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,As the death-bed, whereon it must expire,Consum'd with that which it was nourish'd by.This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,To love that well, which thou must leave ere long.

1st Quatrain

Year - Fall

2nd Quatrain Day - Twilight

3rd QuatrainFire - Coals

“This” is ll.1-12

Sonnet 73Sonnet 73

The speaker isThe speaker is Part of life livedPart of life lived The whole of lifeThe whole of life

in the in the fallfall of his life of his life the spring and summerthe spring and summer the yearthe year

in the in the twilighttwilight of the day of the day the morning and noonthe morning and noon the daythe day

In the glowing coalsIn the glowing coals The ashes of youthThe ashes of youth hourhour

Q1Q1

Q2Q2

Q3Q3

Year

Day

Hour

Time is rapidly shortening.

That time is running out is what the beloved perceives.

The UnsonnetThe UnsonnetLoving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show,Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show,That she, dear she, might take some pleasure of my pain,That she, dear she, might take some pleasure of my pain,Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know,Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know,Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain,—Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain,—I sought fit words to paint the blackest face of woe ;I sought fit words to paint the blackest face of woe ;Studying inventions fine, her wits to entertain, Studying inventions fine, her wits to entertain, Oft turning others' leaves to see if thence would flowOft turning others' leaves to see if thence would flowSome fresh and fruitful showers upon my sun-burned brain.Some fresh and fruitful showers upon my sun-burned brain.But words came halting forth, wanting invention's stay ;But words came halting forth, wanting invention's stay ;Invention, nature's child, fled step-dame Study's blows,Invention, nature's child, fled step-dame Study's blows,And others' feet still seemed but strangers in my way.And others' feet still seemed but strangers in my way.Thus, great with child to speak, and helpless in my throes,Thus, great with child to speak, and helpless in my throes,

Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite,Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite,Fool, said my muse to me, look in thy heart and write.Fool, said my muse to me, look in thy heart and write.

Philip Sidney, Philip Sidney, Astrophel and StellaAstrophel and Stella, Sonnet 1, Sonnet 1

Loving in truth, and fain Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to in verse my love to showshow,,

That she, dear she, That she, dear she, might might take some take some pleasurepleasure of my pain of my pain,,

Pleasure might Pleasure might cause her readcause her read, , reading reading might might make her knowmake her know,,

Knowledge might Knowledge might pity winpity win, and , and pity pity grace grace obtainobtain,—,—

I I sought fit wordssought fit words to paint the blackest to paint the blackest face of woe ;face of woe ;

Studying inventions fineStudying inventions fine, her wits to , her wits to entertain, entertain,

Oft turning others' leavesOft turning others' leaves to see if to see if thence would flowthence would flow

Some fresh and fruitful showers upon Some fresh and fruitful showers upon my sun-burned brain.my sun-burned brain.

But But words came haltingwords came halting forth, forth, wanting wanting invention'sinvention's stay ; stay ;

Invention, nature's child, fled step-dame Invention, nature's child, fled step-dame Study's blows,Study's blows,

And And others' feetothers' feet still seemed but still seemed but strangers in strangers in my waymy way..

Thus, Thus, great with child to speakgreat with child to speak, and helpless , and helpless in my throes,in my throes,Biting my Biting my truant pentruant pen, beating myself for , beating myself for spite,spite,Fool, said my muse to me, look in thy Fool, said my muse to me, look in thy heart and write.heart and write.

/ U / / U // U / / U /Plea sure might cause her read,Plea sure might cause her read,

/ U / / U // U / / U / read ing might make her knowread ing might make her know

Trochee: / U Spondee: / /Trochee: / U Spondee: / /

The UnsonnetThe UnsonnetLoving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show,Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show,That she, dear she, might take some pleasure of my pain,That she, dear she, might take some pleasure of my pain,Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know,Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know,Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain,—Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain,—I sought fit words to paint the blackest face of woe ;I sought fit words to paint the blackest face of woe ;Studying inventions fine, her wits to entertain, Studying inventions fine, her wits to entertain, Oft turning others' leaves to see if thence would flowOft turning others' leaves to see if thence would flowSome fresh and fruitful showers upon my sun-burned brain.Some fresh and fruitful showers upon my sun-burned brain.But words came halting forth, wanting invention's stay ;But words came halting forth, wanting invention's stay ;Invention, nature's child, fled step-dame Study's blows,Invention, nature's child, fled step-dame Study's blows,And others' feet still seemed but strangers in my way.And others' feet still seemed but strangers in my way.Thus, great with child to speak, and helpless in my throes,Thus, great with child to speak, and helpless in my throes,

Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite,Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite,Fool, said my muse to me, look in thy heart and write.Fool, said my muse to me, look in thy heart and write.

Philip Sidney, Philip Sidney, Astrophel and StellaAstrophel and Stella, Sonnet 1, Sonnet 1