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English Sonnet for Dummies

noun

pronunciation: 'ɪŋglɪʃ_'sɑnɪt

What does English Sonnet really mean?

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Hey there! So, an English sonnet is a kind of poem that has a specific structure and rhythm. It's made up of 14 lines, and it follows a rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. This means that the last words of every other line rhyme, and the last two lines also rhyme with each other. It's like a little puzzle that the poet has to solve as they're writing the poem.

In an English sonnet, the poem is usually divided into three quatrains, which are groups of four lines, and a final couplet, which is a pair of rhyming lines. Each quatrain tends to explore a different idea or thought, and the couplet at the end often serves as a conclusion or a twist on the previous ideas. It's kind of like a mini-story with a beginning, middle, and end, all wrapped up in those 14 lines.

English sonnets often have a specific rhythm or meter, too. They typically follow iambic pentameter, which is a fancy way of saying that each line has five pairs of syllables, with the emphasis on the second syllable in each pair. This gives the poem a nice, steady beat, like a drum or a heartbeat, which helps to draw the reader in and keep them engaged with the poem.

So, in a nutshell, an English sonnet is a type of poem that has 14 lines, a specific rhyme scheme, and a particular rhythm. It's like a beautiful little puzzle of words, with a beginning, middle, and end, all wrapped up in a neat package. I hope that makes sense! It's kind of like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, but with words instead of pieces.

Revised and Fact checked by Robert Williams on 2023-12-11 20:01:42

English Sonnet In a sentece

Learn how to use English Sonnet inside a sentece

  • Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
  • My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red, than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
  • When I consider every thing that grows Holds in perfection but a little moment, That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows Whereon the stars in secret influence comment.
  • To be or not to be, that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
  • That time of year thou mayst in me behold When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.

English Sonnet Synonyms

Words that can be interchanged for the original word in the same context.

English Sonnet Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.