My research into the
impact which certain forms of poetry have had throughout history shows that the
most prominent and well-established sub-category of poetry is the Sonnet.
Students may be reluctant to consider the Sonnet today as the word instantly
conjures up images of ambiguous and confusing Shakespearean-type language which
is hard to decipher. However, whilst Shakespeare wrote 154 Sonnets, he is only
one in a community of Sonnet writers he took inspiration from including Keats and
Donne. The word 'Sonnet’ can be translated as 'little song' which is indicative
of its rhythmic quality. The form was pioneered in 14th century Italy by the
poet Francisco Petrarch. 
A&E Networks stated Petrarch
was the "The Father of Humanism", highlighting his philosophical
ideology which went on to initiate the Renaissance literary as well as social
period in which it was believed humanity could reach the accomplishments which
Petrarch believed they had in the past and formed a bridge from the middle
ages.
Whilst researching Petrarch, I discovered his biography and
therefore the original story of what inspired him to write this revolutionary
style of literature. Interestingly, it stemmed from a glimpse of a lady from
across a church who Petrarch had never spoken to. His sonnet suggests that her
name was Laura and that he was taken aback by her beauty and presence. Further
research shows that there was a woman in the community named Laura De Noates
who was the wife of a rich count. However, the connection between Petrarch’s
vision of Laura and the actual person has never been established.
From then on, it became known in the literary community that
language which referred to the love of an unknown woman was 'Petrarchan
Convention', therefore introducing a style which went on to inspire later
influential Sonnet writers. The example below is from Petrarch’s early
collection of sonnets which contain key themes of ‘nature’ and ‘purity’:
| O joyous, blossoming, ever-blessed flowers! A ’Mid which my pensive queen her footstep sets; B O plain, that hold’st her words for amulets B And keep’st her footsteps in thy leafy bowers! A O trees, with earliest green of springtime hours, C And all spring’s pale and tender violets! B O grove, so dark the proud sun only lets B His blithe rays gild the outskirts of thy towers! C O pleasant country-side! O limpid stream, D That mirrorest her sweet face, her eyes so clear, E And of their living light canst catch the beam! D I envy thee her presence pure and dear. E There is no rock so senseless but I deem D It burns with passion that to mine is near. E |
You might be reading
this with a yawn and wondering what the significance is of these 14 lines! It
seems unfathomable that this short piece of writing went on to influence one of
the most iconic forms of literature throughout history. However, when analysing
this classic poem, one gains an understanding of its importance at the time.
As shown, the poem has the standard ABBA
rhyming pattern which relies on the alternate rhyming of each sestet. This brings
the language full circle at the end of each section before embarking on a new
rhyme scheme. This pattern as well as language range lends fluidity to the
reading of the poem and is in keeping with the theme of the poem.
In my view, the main content of the poem focuses on the
theme of natural beauty being likened to the aesthetic beauty of the mysterious
‘Laura’. Petrarch writes on the 9th line: “O Limpid stream/That Mirrorest her
sweet face”, inferring an omnibenevolent quality to the beauty of Laura as she
is compared with the tranquillity of a calm stream in the country and perhaps
the only thing which is worthy of reflecting such God-like beauty. Furthermore,
Petrarch uses the words of “Blossoming, ever-blessed Flowers” which describe the
“blossoming” of love which is a beautiful and natural thing which can’t be
corrupted due to its “blessed” nature.
Jumping forward a century, the Sonnet style of writing began
a trend amongst writers of the Renaissance period including Keats and Donne.
However, a writer who made perhaps the largest contribution to this artform is Shakespeare,
who is iconic in both the play format as well as poetry. Below is one of his
most recognised pieces of work, the opening line of which you may recognise as
a cliché that many literary enthusiasts quote in a cheesy fashion:
SONNET 18
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
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, C
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd; D
And every fair from fair sometime declines, C
By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm'd; D
But thy eternal summer shall not fade E
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st; F
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade, E
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st; F
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, G
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. G
William Shakespeare
Again, the themes here are heavily indicative of ‘Petrarchan
Convention’ despite this being written over a century after Petrarch’s time in
the 15th century. Themes aside, this poem is revolutionary in its use of Iambic
Pentameter which can be defined as having lines which consist of an “unstressed
syllable followed by a stressed syllable”. This technique of Sonnet writing
allows the alternating lines to return full circle as line repeats one which
came before it which adds a clear and organised presentation as well as a
rhythmic-sounding reading of the poem. In addition, the poem ends with a
rhyming couplet, bringing the poem to a clear conclusion that feels like a
finished piece of writing and not an open-ended story.
Furthermore, when reading Sonnet 18 you might have picked up
that the themes are very similar to Petrarch’s Sonnet which I analysed above. The
8th line which reads “thy eternal summer shall not fade” is particularly
powerful and refers to the all-powerful quality that the narrator feels from
having witnessed the woman’s beauty as it is an “eternal” feeling. This is
further likened to the joy and happiness of summer, which the poet claims will
“never fade” and grants an element of supernatural power to the bond which the
poet has with this lady as this intense happiness is not limited to a season,
but is stretched out for eternity. Shakespeare uses this word several times
throughout.
Reading various Sonnets, I suggest that this form of poetry is
approached with an open mind to ensure that 'deeper meaning' is explored, but
also to understand the context in which they were written. The work of
Francesco Petrarch and the subsequent poets was a steppingstone towards a level
of literary understanding which we had not yet experienced in history. A forum
that I discovered on the subject states that the Sonnet can “strengthen close
reading and analytical skills, build a better appreciation for poetry, and
derive more meaning from your reading”. I feel that the last part of this quote
is especially true to the art of poetry as well as Literature as, without
meaning or even any understanding of emotion in writing, this can lead to a meaningless
and unsatisfying experience in the way these types of poems are digested and
understood.
Bibliography
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Petrarch, F. (2015). Fifteen Sonnets of
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[online] Gutenberg.org. Available at:
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/50307/50307-h/50307-h.htm [Accessed 6 Oct.
2019].
Shakespeare, W. (2019). Shakespeare Sonnet 18
- Shall I compare thee to a summer's day. [online] Shakespeare-online.com.
Available at: http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/18.html [Accessed 6
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Augnet.org. (2019). AUGNET : 4361 Francesco
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No Sweat Shakespeare. (2019). What Is Iambic
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Available at: https://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/sonnets/iambic-parameter/
[Accessed 13 Oct. 2019].
Petrarch.petersadlon.com. (2019). Francesco
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https://www.quora.com/What-was-the-importance-of-sonnets-in-the-Renaissance-period
[Accessed 13 Oct. 2019].
Sawer, P. (2016). New portrait of William
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