The Sonnet

1
The Sonnet

• Poetic structure, puzzles, and genius all in
  the name of love

2
Definition and origin

• - 14 line poem written in iambic pentameter with
  a particular rhyme scheme. The subject is usually
  some aspect of human love.
• - origin is 13th century Italy
• - sonetto means little sound or little song

3
Petrarch

• - 14th Century Italian sonneteer
• - produced most important group of sonnets
• - wrote 366 poems in his career/ 317 of which
  were true sonnets
• - all to Laura
• - all to no avail she spurns him
• - Wyatt introduces Italian sonnet to England in
  (early 1500s)

4
Sir Philip Sidney(check out turtleneck in text,
234)

• - Astrophel and Stella 1580s (pub.1591)
• - 1st great English sonnet sequence
• - started sonnet vogue in England
• - Stella was Penelope Devereaux
• - 13 years old when Sidney meets her
• - all for naught she marries Lord Rich (and he
  was)

5
Sonnet Groups

• Organize into 5 groups (4 or 5 per group)
• 1. Perform
• 2. Solve the puzzle
• 3. Demonstrate the meter
• 4. Identify the rhyme scheme of the sonnet
  (Petrarchan, Spenserian, or Shakespearean)
• 5. What is the conclusive statement regarding
  love?

6
The 2012 Sonnet Challenge

• Write a sonnet

7
Details (sorry)

• Must conform to all 4 aspects of sonnet form
  length, meter, rhyme (must be one of three rhymes
  learned), and subject.
• Sonnet must be turned in Monday, November 19,
  during the period we meet. No exceptions.
• No leeway all judges decisions are infallible,
  inevitable, and incisive.

8
Sonnet Fever

• Central sonnet theme Love, often unrequited.
  Sometimes musings on the nature of true love and
  sometimes on the beauty and grace of the woman
  the poet loves ( strange love)
• - the sonnet game --- solve the puzzle
  presented by the poet (What is he saying about
  love or the woman he loves?) and take note of and
  enjoy the rhythm and rhyme of the sonnet

9
Sonnet Types

• 1. Italian or Petrarchan
• octave sestet
• abbaabba cdecde
• or abababab cdcdcd
• volta
• 2. Spenserian
• quatrain quatrain quatrain couplet
• abab bcbc cdcd ee
• 3. Shakesperian
• abab cdcd efef gg
• turn volta

10
Practice Sonnets

• Sonnet 31 (239)
• Sonnet 39 (240)
• Sonnet 1 (236)
• Sonnet 35 (237)
• Sonnet 75 (238)
• 1. Perform 2 0nly!
• 2. Solve the puzzle
• 3. Demonstrate meter
• 4. Identify type
• 5. What does the sonnet say about love? Whats
  its conclusion?