Q. Discuss ‘Sonnet’ as a literary genre.
Ans: The word sonnet is derived from the Italian word “sonetto”, which means a “little song” or small
lyric. Traditionally, the sonnet is a fourteen-line poem written in a iambic pentameter, which employ
one of several rhyme schemes and adhere to a tightly structured thematic organization. Two sonnet
forms provide the models from which all other sonnets are formed: the Petrarchan and the
Shakespearean.
The sonnet is unique among poetic forms in Western literature in that it has retained its appeal
for major poets for five centuries. The form seems to have originated in the 13 th century among the
Sicilian school of court poets, who were influenced by the love poetry of Provencal troubadours. From
there it spread to Tuscany, where it reached its highest expression in the 14 th century in the poems of
Petrarch. His Canzoniere- a sequence of poems including 317 sonnets, addressed to his idealized
beloved, Laura- established and perfected the Petrarchan (or Italian) sonnet.
PETRARCHAN SONNET
The Petrarchan sonnet characteristically treats its theme in two parts. The first eight lines, the
octave, state a problem, ask a question, or express an emotional tension. The last six lines, the sestet,
resolve the problem, answer the question, or relieve the tension. The octave is rhymed abbaabba. The
rhyme scheme of the sestet varies; it may be cdecde, cdccdc or cdedce. The Petrarchan sonnet became
a major influence on European poetry. It soon became naturalized in Spain, Portugal and France and was
introduced to Poland, whence it spread to other Slavic literatures.
THE ENGLISH OR SHAKESPEAREAN SONNET:
The sonnet was introduced to England, along with other Italian verse forms, by Sir Thomas Wyatt
and Henry Howard, earl of Surrey, in the 16 th century. The new forms precipitated the great Elizabethan
flowering of lyric poetry, and the period marks the peak of the sonnet’s English popularity. In the course
of adapting the Italian form to a language less rich in rhymes, the Elizabethans gradually arrived at the
distinctive English sonnet, which is composed of three quatrains, each having an independent rhyme
scheme, and is ended with a rhymed couplet.
The rhyme scheme of the English sonnet is abab cdcd efef gg. Its greater number of rhymes makes it a
less demanding form than the Petrarchan sonnet, but this is offset by the difficult presented by the
couplet, which must summarize the impact of the preceding quatrains with the compressed force of a
Greek epigram.
The sonnet has become popular among different poets because it has a great adaptability to different
purposes and requirements. Rhythms are strictly followed. It could be a perfect poetic style for
elaboration or expression of a single feeling or thought, with its short length in iambic pentameter. In
fact, it gives an ideal setting for a poet to explore strong emotions.
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Ans: The word sonnet is derived from the Italian word “sonetto”, which means a “little song” or small
lyric. Traditionally, the sonnet is a fourteen-line poem written in a iambic pentameter, which employ
one of several rhyme schemes and adhere to a tightly structured thematic organization. Two sonnet
forms provide the models from which all other sonnets are formed: the Petrarchan and the
Shakespearean.
The sonnet is unique among poetic forms in Western literature in that it has retained its appeal
for major poets for five centuries. The form seems to have originated in the 13 th century among the
Sicilian school of court poets, who were influenced by the love poetry of Provencal troubadours. From
there it spread to Tuscany, where it reached its highest expression in the 14 th century in the poems of
Petrarch. His Canzoniere- a sequence of poems including 317 sonnets, addressed to his idealized
beloved, Laura- established and perfected the Petrarchan (or Italian) sonnet.
PETRARCHAN SONNET
The Petrarchan sonnet characteristically treats its theme in two parts. The first eight lines, the
octave, state a problem, ask a question, or express an emotional tension. The last six lines, the sestet,
resolve the problem, answer the question, or relieve the tension. The octave is rhymed abbaabba. The
rhyme scheme of the sestet varies; it may be cdecde, cdccdc or cdedce. The Petrarchan sonnet became
a major influence on European poetry. It soon became naturalized in Spain, Portugal and France and was
introduced to Poland, whence it spread to other Slavic literatures.
THE ENGLISH OR SHAKESPEAREAN SONNET:
The sonnet was introduced to England, along with other Italian verse forms, by Sir Thomas Wyatt
and Henry Howard, earl of Surrey, in the 16 th century. The new forms precipitated the great Elizabethan
flowering of lyric poetry, and the period marks the peak of the sonnet’s English popularity. In the course
of adapting the Italian form to a language less rich in rhymes, the Elizabethans gradually arrived at the
distinctive English sonnet, which is composed of three quatrains, each having an independent rhyme
scheme, and is ended with a rhymed couplet.
The rhyme scheme of the English sonnet is abab cdcd efef gg. Its greater number of rhymes makes it a
less demanding form than the Petrarchan sonnet, but this is offset by the difficult presented by the
couplet, which must summarize the impact of the preceding quatrains with the compressed force of a
Greek epigram.
The sonnet has become popular among different poets because it has a great adaptability to different
purposes and requirements. Rhythms are strictly followed. It could be a perfect poetic style for
elaboration or expression of a single feeling or thought, with its short length in iambic pentameter. In
fact, it gives an ideal setting for a poet to explore strong emotions.
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