Elizabethan Sonnet
Definition:
An Elizabethan sonnet is a type of poem with a specific structure. It has 14 lines divided into three groups of four lines (called quatrains) and one final two-line group (called a couplet). The rhythm of the poem is usually written in iambic pentameter, which means each line has ten syllables with a pattern of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. The rhyme scheme is typically organized like this: abab cdcd efef gg.
Usage Instructions:
When writing an Elizabethan sonnet, you should focus on creating three quatrains that develop a theme or idea, and then conclude with a couplet that provides a resolution or a twist to the poem’s message.
Example:
Here is an example of the rhyme scheme in an Elizabethan sonnet:
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? (a)
Thou art more lovely and more temperate: (b)
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, (a)
And summer's lease hath all too short a date: (b)
Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines, (c)
And often is his gold complexion dimmed; (d)
And every fair from fair sometime declines, (c)
By chance or nature's changing course untrimmed; (d)
But thy eternal summer shall not fade (e)
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest; (f)
Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade, (e)
When in eternal lines to time thou growest: (f)
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, (g)
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. (g)
(These lines are from Shakespeare's Sonnet 18, which is one of the most famous Elizabethan sonnets.)
Advanced Usage:
In advanced poetry, writers may play with the traditional structure of the Elizabethan sonnet, sometimes using enjambment (where a sentence runs over from one line to the next without a pause) or varying the iambic pentameter to create a unique rhythm or emotional effect.
Word Variants:
There are no direct variants of the term "Elizabethan sonnet," but you may come across related terms like "Shakespearean sonnet" (which is another name for the Elizabethan sonnet since Shakespeare popularized it), "sonnet" (a broader term for any 14-line poem), and "quatrain" (four lines of poetry).
Different Meanings:
The term "Elizabethan" refers to anything related to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England (1558-1603). Thus, "Elizabethan literature" encompasses more than just sonnets; it includes plays, prose, and poetry from that era.
Synonyms:
- Shakespearean sonnet - English sonnet
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:
While there are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs related to "Elizabethan sonnet," you can use phrases like "turn of phrase" to describe the artistic and expressive way poets use words in their sonnets.