English sonnet
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: - A specific poetic form: An English sonnet is a type of sonnet consisting of three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and a concluding couplet (two-line stanza). It is written in iambic pentameter and follows a specific rhyme scheme: abab cdcd efef gg.
Usage
- The English sonnet is also commonly known as the Shakespearean sonnet, named after William Shakespeare, who popularized the form.
- It is used to structure a poem, often exploring a theme, argument, or emotion across its 14 lines, with the final couplet frequently providing a resolution, twist, or summary.
Examples
Advanced Usage
- Structural Analysis: When analyzing poetry, identifying a poem as an English sonnet immediately informs the reader about its expected meter, rhyme, and structural divisions (three thematic quatrains and a concluding couplet).
- Contrast with Italian Form: The term is often used in contrast to the Italian sonnet (or Petrarchan sonnet), which has a different structure of an octave and a sestet with a rhyme scheme like .
Variants and Related Words
- Shakespearean sonnet (n): A direct synonym for English sonnet.
- Sonnet (n): The general category of 14-line poems to which the English sonnet belongs.
- Quatrain (n): A four-line stanza. The English sonnet contains three of these.
- Couplet (n): A pair of successive rhyming lines. The English sonnet ends with one.
- Iambic pentameter (n): The metrical pattern of a line with five iambic feet (an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable), which is the standard meter for this form.
Synonyms
- Shakespearean sonnet
Antonyms / Contrasting Terms
- Italian sonnet (Petrarchan sonnet): A different sonnet form with an octave (8 lines) and a sestet (6 lines).
- Spenserian sonnet: A variant sonnet form with a linking rhyme scheme: .
Noun
- a sonnet consisting three quatrains and a concluding couplet in iambic pentameter with the rhyme pattern abab cdcd efef gg