Sonnets, born in 13th-century Sicily, evolved into two main forms: Italian and English. These 14-line poems explore love, beauty, and mortality through structured rhyme schemes and meter, shaping the landscape of lyric poetry.

The sonnet's journey from Italy to England sparked innovation. Petrarch's refined Italian form inspired English poets like Shakespeare to create their own variations, expanding themes and adopting a more personal tone in their verses.

Origins and Structure of Sonnets

Origins of the sonnet form

• Italian sonnet emerged in 13th-century Sicily with Giacomo da Lentini credited as inventor
• Spread to mainland Italy popularized by Guido Cavalcanti and Dante Alighieri
• Petrarch refined Italian sonnet structure writing 366 sonnets in "Il Canzoniere"
• Introduced to England by Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, who translated and adapted Petrarchan sonnets
• English sonnet evolved with Shakespeare's innovations and Spenser's variation (Spenserian sonnet)

Structure of Italian vs English sonnets

• Italian (Petrarchan) sonnet:
  1. 14 lines divided into octave and sestet
  2. Octave: abbaabba rhyme scheme
  3. Sestet: various rhyme schemes (cdecde, cdcdcd, cdedce)
  4. Volta (turn) between octave and sestet
• English (Shakespearean) sonnet:
  1. 14 lines divided into three quatrains and a couplet
  2. Rhyme scheme: abab cdcd efef gg
  3. Volta often occurs before final couplet
• Spenserian sonnet:
  1. 14 lines with interlocking rhyme scheme
  2. abab bcbc cdcd ee
• Meter:
  • Italian: hendecasyllabic (11-syllable) lines
  • English: iambic pentameter (5 stressed syllables per line)

Themes in Renaissance sonnets

• Italian Renaissance sonnets:
  • Explored courtly love and Neoplatonism
  • Idealized the beloved through extended metaphors and conceits (Petrarch's Laura)
• English Renaissance sonnets:
  • Expanded themes to include love, beauty, time, and mortality (Shakespeare's sonnets)
  • Adopted more personal and introspective tone
  • Addressed broader range of subjects beyond romantic interests (Sidney's Astrophil and Stella)
• Stylistic differences:
  • Italian: ornate language and complex imagery (Petrarch's use of oxymorons)
  • English: often more direct and conversational (Shakespeare's "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?")
• Shared characteristics:
  • Employed natural imagery and classical allusions (both traditions referencing Greek mythology)
  • Explored paradoxes and contradictions in love (Petrarch's "icy fire")

Influence on lyric poetry

• Standardized lyric form providing structured template for expressing complex emotions
• Inspired variations like curtal sonnet (Hopkins) and sonnet sequences (Sidney, Spenser)
• Contributed to development of English ode (Keats, Shelley)
• Promoted concision and precision in poetic language
• Encouraged use of vivid imagery and figurative language (Shakespeare's extended metaphors)
• Facilitated cross-cultural literary exchange across Europe
• Influenced development of national literatures (Du Bellay in France, Góngora in Spain)
• Continues to inspire contemporary poets (Seamus Heaney, Carol Ann Duffy)
• Serves as touchstone for discussions of form and tradition in poetry