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A Brief History of the Sonnet
by Amy Arden
 Valentine’s Day is approaching, which causes most of us to think of chocolates, flowers, and poetry. To be more specific, we think of Lyrical poetry and envision the sonneteers, dripping in rose petals, spouting poetry at their fair ladies—on the brink of a swoon, mind you—standing on marble balconies. On second thought, maybe that’s just what I imagine for Valentine’s Day. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t hurt to know a little of the history of this famous aphrodisiac, the Sonnet.
In order to understand the sonneteers, one must first understand the times in which they lived. Lyrical poetry was at its height during the Renaissance, a time when courtly love was the subject of much literature and poetry. The Renaissance could be defined as, "The rebirth of knowledge through the example of the ancients." God's presence in this time was only marginal, but Love's presence was overwhelming. This was a time when feudalism was weakening and the use of the printing press was increasing. Humanism, a man-centered point of view, was the philosophy of the times, a philosophy that tended toward the development of literature.
The reign of Queen Elizabeth I was the height of the Renaissance in England. Her reign held the finest flowering of the arts in English history. She was the living embodiment of the spirit of the age; she was in love with life and with living; the time period even bears her name! She loved and encouraged the publication of lyric poetry--a spontaneous overflow of emotion. The most popular of all lyrical poetry among the Elizabethans was the Shakespearean sonnet.
Much to the disappointment of my romantic sensibilities, the Shakespearean sonnet is not actually an invention of William Shakespeare. The form was first used in the 13th century by the Italian poet Alighieri Dante. His successor Francesco Petrarch was the most significant of the early sonneteers and had the most influence on Elizabethan lyrical poetry.
The sonnet, a name derived from the Italian word meaning "a little sound" (say it with one eyebrow raised and you’ll understand the meaning), was first introduced in England by Sir Thomas Wyatt in the early 16th century. Then the sonnet seemed to sleep in England during the first decade of Elizabeth I's reign. Suddenly, Sir Philip Sidney's "Astrophel and Stella" burst upon the literary scene in 1582. It was followed by Edmund Spencer's "Amoretti" in 1595, and the sonnet was reborn in England!
Shakespeare added depth of passion and artistic genius to the framework created by his predecessors. As opposed to the Italian sonnet, which consisted of the octet and a sestet, the Shakespearean sonnet consisted of twelve lines with a couplet, using the rhyming scheme: ab ab cd cd ef ef gg. Most of Shakespeare's sonnets (154 in sequence) were written between 1592-1595, and established this format as the standard.
One poet who took exception to this standard was John Donne, a Metaphysical poet. He did not follow any specific Petrarchan rhythmic design. Donne and Ben Johnson wrote such highly stylized poetry, it seemed meaningless and easy. Metaphysical poetry emphasizes intellect or wit, rather than emotion. It requires work on the part of the reader, but the sudden insight is worth it. Their bend towards intellectualism certainly didn’t prevent them from writing some devastatingly romantic poetry. (Try to read “The Ecstasy” without sighing at least once. I dare you.)
A few of my favorite sonnets are listed below. It certainly couldn’t hurt to memorize a few lines before February 14th. You may not find yourself breathlessly uttering lyric poetry at your beloved’s bedroom window—as a matter of fact, I suggest you don’t—but having a store of romantic verse in the pocket for just the right moment can be the difference between lightening and a lightening bug.
Amy Arden is the Dusty Shelf editor.
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