Simple Poetry Lesson- The Sonnet

The sonnet, also known in Italian as a 'sonetto' or 'little song', is great as a starting point if you are just dipping your toes into the poetry world. The beauty of a sonnet is that there is a lot of flexibility in its rhyming schemes to develop an emotional and thought-provoking piece, even in its strict form.

 

The sonnet is a 14 line poem the consists of one stanza. The stanza (a group of lines) is written in iambic pentameter - a line of 5 metrical feet. The iambic Pentameter consists of 10 syllables that include 5 non stressed (short) syllables followed by a stressed (long) syllable. So, five metrical feet.

 

Example: I enjoy a bottle of Lambrini

 

Here are 4 major points to consider with a sonnet

  1. The traditional type of sonnet is written in iambic pentameter

  2. The sonnet is usually 14 lines in length

  3. There are six major types of sonnet-Italian Sonnet, Shakespearean, Spenserian, Miltonic Sonnet, Terza Rima, Curtal. (literary devices, online 2020)

  4. A sonnet has a particular rhyme scheme, dependent on the type of sonnet you have chosen.

 

Here is my attempt at a sonnet.

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