Types of sonnets in English literature:

Austen Writes
3 min readNov 29, 2024

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Part 2

1. Petrarchan Sonnets.

2. Shakespearean Sonnets.

3. Miltonic Sonnets.

4. Spenserian Sonnets.

5. Modern Sonnets.

Petrarchan Sonnets

  • The Petrarchan, or Italian, sonnet is the original and most often used type.
  • Two stanzas comprise it: the octave, which consists of the first eight lines, and the replying sestet, which consists of the last six lines.
  • Although there are numerous excellent instances in English, the intricate rhyme system of abba, abba, cdecde, or cdcdcd is most suited for the rhyme-rich Italian language.
  • There is a turn, or volta, between the eighth and ninth lines because the Petrarchan uses the octave to convey an argument, observation, query, or other answering charge.
  • This turn signifies a change in the argument or story’s direction, making the sestet the vehicle for the counterargument, explanation, or any other response the octave requires.

— The Petrarchan sonnet was brought to England by Sir Thomas Wyatt at the beginning of the sixteenth century.

Shakespearean Sonnets

  • The Shakespearean or English sonnets are the second main kind of sonnet.
  • According to a distinct set of guidelines. The rhyme structure in this instance is abab, cdc, efef, and gg, followed by three quatrains and a couplet.
  • The couplet, which typically arrives as a conclusion, amplification, or even rebuttal of the preceding three stanzas, is crucial because it frequently gives the poem an epiphanic feel at the end.
  • In the first twelve lines of sonnet 130 of William Shakespeare’s epic sonnet cycle, the speaker negatively compares the beauty of nature to his beloved. However, the final couplet takes an unexpected turn.

Miltonic Sonnets

  • The form was significantly improved by John Milton’s Italian-patterned sonnets, which are now referred to as "Miltonic sonnets."
  • Milton liberated the sonnet from its usual form in a series of sonnets, writing the occasional sonnet that frequently addressed inward, self-directed issues.
  • He also experimented with turn, letting the octave flow into the sestet when necessary, as demonstrated in "When I Considered How my Light is Spent."
  • John Milton’s Italian-patterned sonnets, which are often referred to as "Miltonic sonnets," significantly improved the form.
  • Milton liberated the sonnet from its conventional form as a series of sonnets, occasionally penning sonnets that revealed inward, self-directed issues.
  • As needed, he allowed the octave to run into the sestet by taking liberties with the turn.
  • “When I Considered How my Light is Spent" demonstrates both of these attributes.

Spenserian Sonnets

  • The English poet Edmund Spenser created it in the sixteenth century. Its structure is based on the Shakespearean three quatrains and a couplet, but it uses a number of "couplet links" between quatrains, as the rhyme scheme reveals: abab, bcbc, cdcd, ee.
  • The Spenserian sonnet subtly restructured the Shakespearean sonnet into Petrarchan-style couplets by weaving the quatrains together.
  • One of the reasons was to make the Shakespearean sonnet’s frequently overly long final couplet shorter, which would relieve some of the strain on it to address the previous point, remark, or query.

Modern Sonnets

  • The sonnet has remained popular among contemporary poets, which includes Rainer Maria Rilke, Robert Lowell, and John Berryman, among others.
  • Formally and conceptually stretched and teased, today’s sonnets are frequently only recognized by the ghost imprint that pursues them, which can be recognized by the existence of lines or even just the name.
  • This so-called "American" sonnet has been used recently by Ted Berrigan, Karen Volkmann, Wanda Coleman, and Gerald Stern.

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Austen Writes
Austen Writes

Written by Austen Writes

A content writer passionate about exploring the intersection of tech and humanity. Medium writer, storyteller, and curious mind."

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