Shakespearean Sonnet. Shakespeare was the master of the Elizabethan sonnet, which is also referred to as the Shakespearean sonnet. This fourteen-line sonnet consists of three quatrains and a rhyming couplet. The rhyme scheme is abab cdcd efef gg, and the verse is iambic pentameter. Often, the three four-line verses build upon a theme, and the final couplet gives the conclusion and highlights the meaning of the poem.
Speaker. The speaker is the character who speaks in a poem—the voice assumed by the writer.
|
While Shakespeare is primarily revered for his brilliance as a playwright, he was also the most important lyric poet of his era. The sonnet sequence was a popular form in Elizabethan England. Shakespeare’s sonnet sequence is made up of 154 numbered sonnets. There have been many theories about the autobiographical content of these sonnets, but none has been proven decisively. However, most people agree that there are three distinct phases in the sequence. Most of the sonnets refer to a handsome young man. In these poems, Shakespeare tries to advise the young man about making choices in life. Another set of sonnets is addressed to a rival poet. The third group is addressed to a mysterious woman, who is often referred to as the “dark lady.”
As you read each sonnet, jot down some information about each speaker.
Choose a person you love. What images would you use to describe this person?
|
