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Shakespearian Sonnets

Origin of the Sonnet

The sonnet originated in Italy in the 13th century. The word "sonnet" comes from the Italian for "little song". The Italian poet Petrarch
(1304–1374) perfected the Italian Sonnet, which is often called the Petrarchian Sonnet in his honour. This sonnet consists of an octave (eight lines), usually rhyming abbaabba, followed by a sestet (six lines) with the rhyme scheme cdcdcd or cdecde.

Shakespearian Sonnet

The typical Shakespearian sonnet consists of three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and one rhyming couplet (two lines) at the end, with an abab cdcd efef gg rhyme scheme. The lines are written in iambic pentameter. Typical themes in Shakespeare's sonnets include the woman's great beauty, the suffering of the poet-lover, and the immortality of poetry.

Main Objectives

Now read the two sonnets, do the study questions, and try the quizzes.