Structure and Form of Sonnets
Sonnets differ from other poems primarily through their fixed structure: they consist of exactly 14 lines, typically written in iambic pentameter, which is a rhythmic pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables (da-DUM). Unlike free verse or odes that vary in length and meter, sonnets adhere to strict conventions, often divided into an octave (first eight lines) and sestet (last six lines) in the Petrarchan form, or three quatrains and a final couplet in the Shakespearean form. This rigidity contrasts with the flexibility of haikus (three lines) or ballads (variable stanzas).
Rhyme Schemes and Meter
The rhyme scheme sets sonnets apart: the Shakespearean sonnet uses ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, ending with a rhyming couplet for emphasis, while the Petrarchan follows ABBAABBA for the octave and CDCDCD or CDECDE for the sestet. This organized rhyming differs from the irregular patterns in modern poems or the simple AABB of limericks. Iambic pentameter provides a consistent musicality, unlike the trochaic tetrameter in many nursery rhymes or the absence of meter in prose poetry.
Practical Example: Shakespeare's Sonnet 18
Consider the opening of Shakespeare's Sonnet 18: 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? / Thou art more lovely and more temperate.' This exemplifies the Shakespearean form with its ABAB rhyme and iambic pentameter, building a volta (turn) in the couplet: 'So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, / So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.' In contrast, a free verse poem like Walt Whitman's 'Song of Myself' lacks this structure, flowing without fixed lines or rhymes to mimic natural speech.
Importance and Applications in Literature
Sonnets' concise form forces poets to develop complex ideas, such as love or mortality, within limits, making them ideal for exploring tensions resolved in the volta—unlike epic poems that sprawl across pages. Historically, they emerged in 13th-century Italy and flourished in English Renaissance literature, influencing writers like Milton. Today, sonnets are used in education to teach form's impact on meaning, distinguishing them from experimental poetry that prioritizes content over structure.