JB's+User's+Guide+(How+to+Write+a+Sonnet)

Sonnets are poems that follow specific patterns in meter, form, and rhyme. Thanks to the works of Shakespeare, most people think about him and his style of poetics when we think about sonnets. However, there are also Italian and French sonnet styles, with the Italian form being the most prevalent. The Italian sonnet is also known as the Petrarchan sonnet, for the same reason many people call the English sonnet the Shakespearean sonnet--these two poets were the most influential soneteers in their respective cultures. In general, the sonnet has a consistent structure true of both Italian and English variations 1

Regardless of which sonnet you decide to write--an Italian sonnet or an English sonnet--there are several rules to follow:
 * 1) It always has 14 lines
 * 2) It has a specific meter
 * 3) It makes an argument or observation, or it asks a question of some kind
 * 4) it uses metaphor(s) to explicate the argument

These two major forms diverge in three key areas. First, while both styles conform to a particular meter, the English sonnet is written in iambic pentameter (five metric feet of two syllables, following an unstressed/stressed pattern, i.e. da-Dum, da-Dum, da-Dum, da-Dum, da-Dum). The verses of an Italian sonnet follows a different rhythm called hendecasyllables, which calls for each line to have eleven syllables. Even though any combination of stress pattern is acceptable, one major feature is the recurring stress on the tenth syllable in each line, providing consistency throughout the sonnet.

The next major difference is in the poem's structure. The Italian sonnet is divided into two parts, an octave (eight lines) made up of two quatrains (four lines each ) and then a sestet (six lines). The English sonnet, on the other hand, is written in three quatrains with a concluding couplet (two rhyming verses). One important element to remember about the sonnet's division is in the build-up and resolution of the argument. The sonnet's tone usually changes at the dividing lines, so that the Petrarchan sonnet begins its resolution at the beginning of the sestet, while the argument is concluded (resolved or changed) by the couplet in the English version.

Closely related to the sonnet's structure is the third area of difference, the rhyming pattern. The Petrarchan sonnet follows the formula **abba abba** for the octave and the sestet can be varied, including **cdecde** and **cdcdcd** or even a more modern version, such as **cdeedc**. The structure rhymes for a Shakespearean sonnet is less variable, with one notable exception. Generally, the English sonnet follows the pattern **abab cdcd efef gg** 2

Now that you are familiar with the formal structure variations of a sonnet, here are some stylistic pointers to consider when you start to write:
 * Your sentence does not have to end with each line. When you continue a thought into the next line it is called enjambment. Use this device to make your argument or metaphor flow more naturally.
 * Unless you are imitating a particular time period or poet, try to use modern language.
 * Remember to use the normal word order when possible to avoid making your sonnet sound contrived
 * Use concrete imagery.
 * Have fun!

1 Modern day poets have taken great liberties with sonnets, with many of the elements of traditional sonnets being re-imagined, but still adhering to 13 lines of verse. These types of sonnets are sometimes referred to as "American sonnets" following a variety patterns, such as using tercets, or three-line stanzas so the sonnet may alternate between quatrain and tercet (4, 3, 4, 3, for a total of 14) with any number of rhyming schemes. To see examples of this style, visit http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/5791.

2 The Spenserian sonnet, named for famed Elizabethan poet Edmund Spenser, is a variant form of English sonnet that connects the poem through rhymes following the pattern **abab bcbc cdcd ee**
 * Jennifer - This is quite comprehensive, and I like the bulletted suggestions especially. Rather than detailing both sonnets, it would make sense to focus on the type you're writing. Talk a little about your process: do you start with ideas and then put them into verse or do you start writing the verse immediately? Have you gotten any tips from looking at contemporary sonnets? Make this as practical as possible. **