How to write a sonnet

What is a sonnet?

A sonnet is a form of poetry with a particular set of rules and associated themes. For centuries, poets have used the frame of the sonnet as a way to express their feelings about romantic love. In fact, the first sonnets were written as love poems by the Italians during the Renaissance. This form of poetry spread throughout Europe until it landed in England and was co-opted by William Shakespeare.

How to write a sonnet

Anyone can write a poem, but sonnets are a little trickier because they have clearly defined parameters. Most sonnet types have a strict meter and a specific rhyme scheme that they must follow. So if you’re going to write a sonnet, it may be helpful to understand these three terms that may help you frame your poetry:

• Meter. This is your poem’s rhythmic structure. You may have heard the term “iambic pentameter” to describe Shakespearean sonnets, which describes the order of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry. The way a poem is spoken aloud, how lines flow together, and how words are stressed and broken down is what makes up a poem’s meter.
• Rhyme. A rhyme is a sound that’s repeated in multiple words. In poetry, most rhymes come at the end of words. Appropriately, these are known as end rhymes, and they help to provide structure for a poem. A rhyme scheme is a repeating, predetermined pattern that is frequently found in poetry and helps to define certain types of sonnets.
• Form. This is the overall structure of a poem that determines its rhyme scheme and meter. If you’ve decided to write a sonnet, you should make yourself familiar with the different forms of poetry so you can follow them correctly.

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What are the different types of sonnets?

Sonnets were invented in Italy in the 1200s and have since been written all over the world in a range of languages. Different poets have created new forms with their own rules for meter and rhyme; as a result, there are a number of different types of sonnets.

Petrarchan

Sonnets were said to be popularized by the Tuscan poet Francesco Petrarch, who lent his name to this style of sonnet. Petrarchan sonnets, also known as an Italian sonnet, are made up of 14 lines and are broken into two primary stanzas. The first stanza is called an octave and consists of eight lines, and the second stanza is called a sestet and consists of six lines.

In terms of content, an Italian sonnet usually establishes a problem or a question in the four-line stanzas, typically relating to love, and turns the focus to a solution in the last two lines in what’s called a “volta” – the Italian word for turn.

A Petrarchan sonnet typically follows a rhyme scheme of:

• ABBAABBA CDCDCD (or CDECDE in some instances)

Shakespearean

Sonnets were first introduced to the English language through poets translating the works of Petrarch from Italian. Certain innovations to the poem’s form were made, and a new structure called the English or Shakespearean sonnet was introduced. This style of sonnet contains 14 lines written in iambic pentameter and is broken into three stanzas of four lines, wrapped up by a two-line couplet.

Like Italian sonnets, English sonnet also address the perceived problem of being in love but will frequently place the “turn” in the final couplet. This was a common writing device of William Shakespeare.

A Shakespearean sonnet typically follows a rhyme scheme of:

• ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

Miltonic

Miltonic sonnets were popularized by the English poet John Milton and are seen as an evolution of the English sonnet. They frequently address an internal struggle, rather than the ravages of romantic love. Like Petrarchan sonnets, Miltonic sonnets are broken into two stanzas where the first one contains eight lines, and the latter six lines.

A Miltonic sonnet follows a rhyme scheme of:

• ABBAABBA CDECDE

Spenserian

The Spenserian sonnet was created by English poet Edmund Spenser in the 1500s. Spenser created this type of sonnet for The Faerie Queene, which is his most famous piece of work.

A Spenserian sonnet follows a rhyme scheme of:

• ABAB BCBC CDCD EE

Modern

Modern variations of this classical poetry format may be any poem of 14 lines with an optional rhyme scheme. They’re frequently written as free verse, which means there’s no pattern in the meter of the poem. While traditional sonnets have a few stanzas with a couplet at the end, a modern sonnet may change up the order or use an unorthodox rhyme scheme.

Writing poetry can be an enormously rewarding exercise. Trying a new form for the first time may feel like a challenge, but having a wealth of writing resources at your fingertips will help you get through the process.