How to Write a Sonnet

How to Write a Sonnet How to Write a Sonnet When we say a sonnet, we definitely go back to 400 years and think about the various 14 liners that Shakespeare wrote. The bird of Avon not only popularized this form, but it became synonymous with his name. Whether he expressed, love, grief, faith or envy, he did it like no one ever would, that too in a set format of an iambic pentameter. Usually there could be a contrasting idea played in such a crafty manner that you can create an inimitable and classic form of poetry that you can just fall in love with. If you have been thinking about writing a sonnet for a loved one or just to express your feelings in those remarkable 14 line style, then you can learn how to write a sonnet as well. However the basic fact to remember is that you should not try to imitate anyone’s writing style or use such dialects as those used hundreds of years back. You can always write using the contemporary words and expressions yet follow the pattern to get that unique feeling.

There are namely four different styles of writing a sonnet, you can follow the Petrarchan or the Italian style, Shakespearean or the English style, Spenserian style or follow the indefinable style that has been made popular by various poets. Each of these style defers from each other and you can chose which you find comfortable to write in. for the purpose of this article, we can discuss how to write an English or Shakespearean sonnet, which probably the most popular form among the various styles of writing poetry.

Here is how you can write a sonnet

Remember that the English sonnet is the most easy of all its variations of sonnets or other styles of poetry. It is pretty simple and is flexible. You can see the rhyme scheme is pleasing to the year as well as easy to follow.
The English sonnet has three quatrains, or four lines with a couplet or two lines that complete the poem.
If you check the rhyming scheme, you can find that it sounds like a-b-a-b, c-d-c-d, e-f-e-f, g-g.
To clearly explain this, we can take for example, the 116 sonnet written by Shakespeare, which is also one of the most popular ones.

“Let me not to the marriage of true minds (a)
Admit impediments, love is not love (b)
Which alters when it alteration finds, (a)
Or bends with the remover to remove. (b)
O no, it is an ever fixéd mark (c)
That looks on tempests and is never shaken; (d)
It is the star to every wand’ring bark, (c)
Whose worth’s unknown although his height be taken. (d)
Love’s not time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks (e)
Within his bending sickle’s compass come, (f)
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, (e)
But bears it out even to the edge of doom: (f)

If this be error and upon me proved, (g)
I never writ, nor no man ever loved. (g)”

Note each of the lines and the last words of each line. You can clearly see the rhyming pattern.
Once you have read and understood this style of writing (you can always refer to some more sonnets written by Shakespeare), you are ready to write your own.
Think about a topic that you want to write on. It can be anything under the sun, if you can express the theme or topic in as many lines and in a creative manner.
Usually a sonnet starts with a contrasting idea and uses metaphors to express the emotions and through the process of writing, the idea is proven at the third quatrain. You can keep expressing your idea using a prop or a metaphor like you can compare love with a candle flame and go on expressing your ideas. You must start the third stanza where you introduce the conflict and you end up with the couplet where you conclude and commit to what you have started to write.

This is how you can write a sonnet without much trouble. You can begin with a normal poetic line that comes to your mind and then follow the rest making sure you create the perfect pattern of rhyming. Modern poetry doesn’t follow any such rhyming pattern, so you may take while to get used to this style but never mind, you can learn it with experience and practice.