📜English Literature – Before 1670 Unit 7 – Sonnets and Lyric Poetry in English Lit

Key Concepts and Definitions

• Sonnet: a 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme and meter, often expressing themes of love or admiration
  • Two main types: Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet and Shakespearean (English) sonnet
• Lyric poetry: short, non-narrative poems that express personal emotions or thoughts, often accompanied by music
• Meter: the rhythmic structure of a poem, determined by the number and arrangement of syllables in each line
  • Common meters include iambic pentameter (used in sonnets) and tetrameter
• Rhyme scheme: the pattern of rhyming words at the end of each line in a poem
  • Sonnets have specific rhyme schemes, such as ABBAABBA CDECDE (Petrarchan) or ABABCDCDEFEFGG (Shakespearean)
• Volta: a shift or turn in the poem's tone, subject, or emotional intensity, often occurring around the 9th line in a sonnet
• Conceit: an extended metaphor that compares two seemingly unrelated things, often in an elaborate or surprising way
• Blazon: a poetic technique that involves cataloging and praising the individual parts of the beloved's body

Historical Context and Origins

• The sonnet form originated in Italy during the 13th century, with the earliest known examples attributed to Giacomo da Lentini
• Petrarch, an Italian poet of the 14th century, popularized the sonnet form and established many of its conventions
  • His sonnets, addressed to a woman named Laura, explored themes of love, desire, and spiritual conflict
• The sonnet was introduced to England in the 16th century by Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
  • They adapted the Italian form to suit the English language and poetic tradition
• Lyric poetry has its roots in ancient Greece, where poems were often accompanied by the lyre, a stringed instrument
• In medieval Europe, lyric poetry was influenced by the troubadour tradition of courtly love and the songs of the French trouvères
• The Renaissance saw a resurgence of interest in classical forms and themes, which influenced the development of lyric poetry in England

Structure and Form

• Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet: consists of an octave (8 lines) followed by a sestet (6 lines)
  • Octave rhyme scheme: ABBAABBA
  • Sestet rhyme scheme: CDECDE or CDCDCD
  • Volta typically occurs between the octave and sestet
• Shakespearean (English) sonnet: consists of three quatrains (4 lines each) followed by a couplet (2 lines)
  • Rhyme scheme: ABABCDCDEFEFGG
  • Volta often occurs in the third quatrain or the couplet
• Lyric poetry has a more flexible structure compared to sonnets
  • Can be composed in various forms, such as odes, elegies, and ballads
  • Often characterized by brevity, emotional intensity, and musical qualities
• Sonnets are typically written in iambic pentameter, a meter with five pairs of syllables (iambs) per line
  • An iamb consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable
• Lyric poems may employ different meters, such as iambic tetrameter or trochaic tetrameter, depending on the desired effect

Themes and Motifs

• Love and admiration: many sonnets and lyric poems explore the joys, sorrows, and complexities of romantic love
  • Poets often idealize and praise the beauty and virtues of their beloved
  • Unrequited love and the pain of separation are common themes
• Nature and the seasons: poets use natural imagery to evoke moods, symbolize human experiences, or reflect on the passage of time
  • Spring is often associated with youth, renewal, and the blossoming of love
  • Winter may represent old age, death, or emotional coldness
• Spirituality and religion: some poets use sonnets and lyric poetry to explore their faith, grapple with religious doubts, or seek divine inspiration
• Mortality and the transience of life: poets reflect on the fleeting nature of beauty, youth, and human existence
  • Carpe diem (seize the day) is a common motif, urging readers to make the most of their limited time on earth
• Political and social commentary: poets may use their work to critique societal norms, advocate for change, or celebrate important events or figures

Notable Poets and Works

• Sir Philip Sidney: known for his sonnet sequence "Astrophil and Stella" (1591), which explores the poet's unrequited love for a woman
• Edmund Spenser: wrote the sonnet sequence "Amoretti" (1595) and the epic poem "The Faerie Queene" (1590-1596)
• William Shakespeare: composed 154 sonnets, many of which are addressed to a mysterious "Fair Youth" and a "Dark Lady"
  • Famous examples include Sonnet 18 ("Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?") and Sonnet 130 ("My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun")
• John Donne: known for his metaphysical poetry, which combines intellectual wit with emotional intensity
  • Notable works include "The Flea," "The Sun Rising," and "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning"
• Ben Jonson: a contemporary of Shakespeare, known for his lyric poems and masques
  • Notable works include "To Celia" ("Drink to me only with thine eyes") and "On My First Son"
• Robert Herrick: a 17th-century poet known for his short, melodic lyric poems
  • Famous examples include "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" and "Delight in Disorder"

Literary Devices and Techniques

• Metaphor: a comparison between two unlike things, stating that one thing is another
  • Example: "My love is a red, red rose" (Robert Burns)
• Simile: a comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as"
  • Example: "My love is like a red, red rose" (Robert Burns)
• Personification: attributing human qualities or actions to non-human entities
  • Example: "Busy old fool, unruly Sun, / Why dost thou thus, / Through windows, and through curtains, call on us?" (John Donne)
• Hyperbole: an exaggeration used for emphasis or effect
  • Example: "I love you more than words can wield the matter, / Dearer than eyesight, space, and liberty" (William Shakespeare)
• Alliteration: the repetition of initial consonant sounds in a series of words
  • Example: "When to the sessions of sweet silent thought / I summon up remembrance of things past" (William Shakespeare)
• Assonance: the repetition of vowel sounds within words in close proximity
  • Example: "Thou still unravished bride of quietness, / Thou foster child of silence and slow time" (John Keats)
• Enjambment: the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line to the next without a pause
  • Example: "Let me not to the marriage of true minds / Admit impediments. Love is not love / Which alters when it alteration finds" (William Shakespeare)

Analysis and Interpretation

• Close reading: examining the text in detail, considering the meaning and effect of specific words, phrases, and literary devices
• Historical and biographical context: understanding how the poet's life experiences, cultural background, and the social and political climate of their time influenced their work
• Thematic analysis: identifying and exploring the central themes and motifs in a poem, and how they contribute to its overall meaning
• Structural analysis: examining how the form, meter, and rhyme scheme of a poem shape its content and emotional impact
• Comparative analysis: comparing and contrasting different poems or poets to identify similarities, differences, and trends in style, theme, or technique
• Psychological and emotional interpretation: considering the emotional states, desires, and conflicts expressed in a poem, and how they reflect universal human experiences
• Symbolism and allegory: identifying and interpreting the symbolic or allegorical meanings of images, characters, or events in a poem
• Reception and critical responses: examining how a poem has been received and interpreted by different audiences and critics over time, and how these interpretations have evolved or changed

Legacy and Influence

• The sonnet form has endured as a popular and influential poetic structure for centuries, inspiring countless poets across different languages and cultures
• Shakespeare's sonnets have become some of the most widely recognized and celebrated poems in the English language
  • They have been adapted, translated, and performed in various media, from stage productions to films and music
• The themes and techniques explored in Renaissance sonnets and lyric poetry have shaped the development of poetry in subsequent eras
  • Romantic poets such as William Wordsworth and John Keats drew inspiration from the emotional intensity and natural imagery of earlier lyric poetry
• The metaphysical poets of the 17th century, such as John Donne and George Herbert, expanded upon the intellectual wit and elaborate conceits of earlier sonnets
• The influence of Renaissance sonnets and lyric poetry can be seen in the works of modern and contemporary poets, who continue to engage with and subvert traditional forms and themes
  • Examples include Pablo Neruda's "100 Love Sonnets," Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnets from the Portuguese," and Seamus Heaney's "Clearances"
• The study of sonnets and lyric poetry remains a central part of English literature curricula, providing insight into the evolution of poetic form, language, and human experience over time
• The enduring popularity and relevance of these poetic forms testify to their ability to capture and express universal human emotions and experiences that transcend time and culture