SONNETS

Definitions Meter Foot Iambic Pentameter Regular pattern that gives poem rhythm A basic unit of meter Five feet of unstressed, stressed syllables

Example “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” The unstressed syllables are in blue and the stressed syllables in red. Each pair of unstressed and stressed syllables makes up a unit called a foot. The line contains five feet in all. A foot containing an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable (as above) is called an iamb. Because there are five feet in the line, all iambic, the meter of the line is iambic pentameter. The prefix pent in pentameter means five (Greek: penta, five). Pent is joined to words or word roots to form new words indicating five.

More Definitions Sonnet Sonnetto Stanza Octave Sestet Quatrain Couplet Fourteen line poem A little sound or song A division of a poem Eight lines in a sonnet Six lines in a sonnet Group of four lines in a sonnet Pair of lines linked by theme and rhyme

Shakespeare’s Sonnets My mistresses’ eyes are nothing like the sun – Coral is far more red than her lip’s red – If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun – If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head: I have seen roses demasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks, And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound. I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress when she walks treads on the ground. And yet by heav’n I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare. Grey ARROW = QUATRAIN Red ARROW = COUPLET 3 quatrains + 1 couplet

Petrarchan Sonnets And on the porch, across the upturned chair, The boy would spread a dingy counterpane Against the length and majesty of the rain, And on all fours crawl under it like a bear To lick his wounds in secret, in his lair; And afterwards, in the windy yard again, One hand cocked back, release his paper plane Frail as a mayfly to the faithless air. And summer evenings he would whirl around Faster and faster till the drunken ground Rose up to meet him; sometimes he would squat Among the bent weeds of the vacant lot, Waiting for dusk and someone dear to come And whip him down the street, but gently home. GREY ARROW = OCTAVE RED ARROW = SESTET 1 octave + 1 sestet

Other People To Remember Spenser (left) – English sonnet writer (most famous for Amoretti) Sidney (right) – Another English sonnet writer (most famous for Astrophel and Stella)

Rhyme Scheme Pattern based on the last word in a line of poetry The Petrarchan or Italian sonnet has the rhyme scheme ABBAABBA CDECDE. The Shakespearean or English sonnet has the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

Example of Shakespearean Rhyme Scheme My mistresses’ eyes are nothing like the sun – (A) Coral is far more red than her lip’s red – (B) If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun – (A) If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head: (B) I have seen roses demasked, red and white, (C) But no such roses see I in her cheeks, (D) And in some perfumes is there more delight (C) Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. (D) I love to hear her speak, yet well I know (E) That music hath a far more pleasing sound. (F) I grant I never saw a goddess go; (E) My mistress when she walks treads on the ground. (F) And yet by heav’n I think my love as rare (G) As any she belied with false compare. (G)

Possible Sonnet Rhyme Patterns abab bcbc cdcd ee abab cdcd efef gg abba abba cd cd cd abba abba cde cde

NOT a Sonnet Pattern aabb aacc bbcc ee abab abab abab ab abcd efgh ijkl mn

Even More Definitions Sonnet Sequence Turn (or volta) Enjambment Series of interconnected sonnets Turn (or volta) Switch from problem to resolution Enjambment The continuation of a sentence or clause over a line-break.

How to Explicate a Sonnet Step 1: Divide each sonnet into parts (quatrains, sestets, couplets, etc.) Step 2: Label the rhyme scheme Step 3: Divide the syllables with a line Step 4: Paraphrase each line of the poem (summarize it in your own words to the side)