2. Sonnet s

3. A 14-line poem written in iambic pentameter Definition=

4. An iamb= an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one Pentameter= a pattern of five Example: One day I wrote her name upon the strand. Examples:  balloon  commit

5. Is the following line an example of iambic pentameter? Mary had a little lamb. No.

6. What are most sonnets about?

7. The love of a poet for a beautiful but unattainable woman Theme:

8. Types of sonnets:  Petrarchan/ Italian  Shakespearian/ English  and others…

9. Petrarchan/ Italian abbaabbacdecdeabbaabbacdecde octave sestet volta (shift)

10. Shakespearian/ English ababcdcdefefggababcdcdefefgg quatrain #1 quatrain #2 quatrain #3 couplet volta

11. Conclusions: The reproach that such poetry is “insincere” would have astonished any Elizabethan. The rules were there with all the weighty authority of tradition behind them.

12. To depart from them would be as incomprehensible as if a chess player were to propose a change of rules in order that he “might express himself better!”