4a. Introduction

The Sonnet

Due to the spread of literacy and the rise of the printing press from the fourteenth century onwards, new forms of literature developed and gained popularity in Renaissance England. Poetry was seen as an art form, and new forms such as the sonnet were imported from Italy and adapted for the English language. A sonnet is bound to all sorts of rules and restrictions, making it a challenge to write and, when pulled off successfully, an admirable feat.

The sonnet (from Italian "sonnetto" = little song) was invented in Italy in the thirteenth century and popularised by the Italian poet Petrarch. A classical or Petrarchan sonnet consists of:

In the sixteenth century, the sonnet was popularised in England by Sir Thomas Wyatt, a diplomat and poet. The English language is not as flexible as Italian when it comes to rhyming words, so some changes were made to the original rules. The changed form is often called a Shakespearean or Elizabethan sonnet, and follows these rules:

Analysing poetry

A poet has a wide range of literary techniques to enhance the message and heighten the emotional impact of the poem. When analysing poetry, it helps to be aware of these techniques. Below, you will find an overview of the techniques you'll need to be able to recognise and describe. We will discuss these terms in class.

Useful material

How to analyse a poem in 6 steps