Scholars have ever since wanted to find out the autobiographical background of Shakespeare’s sonnets, but so far no one has succeeded in any identification of the characters. Many of Shakespeare’s sonnets look like passionate love letters to a lady he is in love with, while others are a sort of dialogue with a friend. The sonnet may present the poet’s view on certain aspects of life, the world, himself – but most often the sonnet is about love. The sonnet will open for the writer’s creativity within these strict rules, like a sport for poets who wants to excel and show off their word craft. The Shakespearian sonnet has fourteen lines with the rhyme scheme abab, cdcd, efef, gg, in a 4+4+4+2 structure.
A sonnet is a poem that has to comply with a certain system of rhyme and rhythm. The sonnet tradition is a rich one which plenty of writers have since subverted - as an extension activity have a look George Meredith's sonnets.This kind of poetry is not for the amateur. The important distinction is that the Italian sonnet is two quatrains and a sextet, the English sonnet is three quatrains and a couplet. Note that many sonneteers have played with the rhyme scheme to create their own interesting versions: as an extension have a look at the Spenserian stanza. (see sonnet 130 by Shakespeare for a fabulous example). Divided into two sections: the first 12 lines and the last two lines. Sonnet form popularised by Surrey and Wyatt used famously by Shakespeare. (see Milton 'When I consider how my light is spent') 2. At the 'volta' (the point between line 8 and 9) there is often a shift in tone or purpose. Divided into two sections: the first 8 lines and the last 6 lines. Most closely resembles the sonnets used by the Italians.
There are two types of sonnet that are worth knowing about: 1. Other than these rules, different sonneteers took different approaches and made up their own rules. 2) It must be written in iambic pentameter. Only two big ones: 1) It must be 14 lines in length. There actually aren't that many rules when it comes to sonnet writing. Once imported, sonnets became really popular and almost every major writer for the next 100 years tried their hand at sonnet-writing, including Shakespeare, Spenser, Donne and Sidney. The particular poetic form was brought over to England by men such as Thomas Wyatt in the early 1500s. Hstorical context: Sonnets (meaning 'little song') are love poems which have a very particular form that was popularised by Dante and Petrarch in Italy in the 1300s.
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