Shakespearean Sonnet

A sonnet is a form of poetry that has existed for centuries, and the Shakespearean sonnet is a famous example. Devised by the poet and playwright William Shakespeare, this type of sonnet has a distinctive structure and rhyme scheme that separates it from the Petrarchan sonnet and the Spenserian sonnet.

Shakespearean Sonnet: Definition

The history of the Shakespearean Sonnet

The Shakespearean sonnet (sometimes called the English sonnet) is a form of sonnet created in England. It was invented by the poet and playwright William Shakespeare who adapted it from the Petrarchan sonnet. Shakespeare popularised this form and wrote 154 Shakespearean sonnets in his lifetime, many of which were published in 1609.

Out of Shakespeare's 154 sonnets, 126 are dedicated to 'Mr W. H'. There has been a lot of speculation surrounding who Mr W. H. is, with some academics arguing that it was a typo and others interpreting the dedication as evidence for Shakespeare's attraction to men. The other 28 sonnets are dedicated to another unknown figure, a mysterious 'dark lady' who is the subject of these poems.

Shakespearean sonnets have been popular since the Elizabethan period, with poets such as John Donne and John Milton composing poems in this form. They are one of the most famous types of sonnet and are used frequently in modern poetry.

Shakespearean Sonnet Examples

As Shakespeare wrote 154 Shakespearean sonnets, there are a lot of available examples written in this form. Some of the most famous Shakespearean sonnets include 'Sonnet 18', 'Sonnet 27', and 'Sonnet 116'.

Examples of Shakespearean sonnets not written by Shakespeare include 'America' by Claude McKay (1921) and John Keats' 'When I Have Fears' (1848).

Form of Shakespearean Sonnets

Structure of Shakespearean Sonnets

A key way to spot a Shakespearean sonnet is to look at the structure of the poem, as this is different to other types of sonnets. The stanzas of a Shakespearean sonnet are divided into three quatrains (stanzas with four lines), followed by one rhyming couplet (two lines). The poem below shows what this looks like:

Shakespearean Sonnet Meter

The Shakespearean sonnet uses iambic pentameter, which is the meter typically used in sonnets.

The iambic pentameter in the final rhyming couple of 'Sonnet 116' is marked in the following example:

The syllables in plain text are unstressed, while the syllables in bold are stressed. Together, an unstressed syllable and a stressed syllable create one metrical foot. In sonnets, there will be five of these feet in each line. Try counting how many metrical feet are in each of the lines shown in the example.

Shakespearean sonnets have also used an iambic trimeter. This is when a line is made of three metrical feet rather than five, while also following the iambic pattern of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. Because of this, even though iambic trimeter follows the same rhythm as iambic pentameter, a line of iambic trimeter will be shorter.

Shakespearean Sonnet Rhyme Scheme

The Shakespearean sonnet has its own signature rhyme scheme that makes it easy to spot amongst other types of sonnets.

The rhyme scheme of the Shakespearean sonnet is ABAB-CDCD-EFEF-GG. In Shakespearean sonnets, it is typical that each stanza will have its own rhyme scheme, because each stanza discusses separate emotions or ideas.

The final stanza of a Shakespearean sonnet consists of two lines that rhyme together, written in iambic pentameter. This is known as a heroic couplet (two lines written in iambic pentameter that rhyme). These are used in Shakespearean sonnets as they provide a concluding idea that resolves the poem.

Shakespearean sonnets also use a volta (a climax or turn), which can be located either before the heroic couplet (the 12th line) or at the start of the heroic couplet (the 13th line).

Themes of Shakespearean Sonnets

Shakespearean sonnets are mostly about love; however, they can also be about anything! Shakespeare himself wrote sonnets about politics, such as 'Sonnet 124' (1609). The Shakespearean sonnet often touches on themes such as love, humanity, politics or death, but the themes will vary depending on the poet.

Petrarchan vs Shakespearean vs Spenserian Sonnet

Sonnets follow a strict structure, and while they will have the same three characteristics (being fourteen lines long with a strict rhyme scheme and written in iambic pentameter), different types of sonnets will follow different rules. Use the table below to remember the key differences between Petrarchan sonnets, Shakespearean sonnets, and Spenserian sonnets.