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Origin of Sonnets

The word ‘sonnet’ comes from the Latin for ‘little sound’. Petrarch, an Italian poet was the original creator of the sonnet form. The Italian sonnet was altered by Shakespeare onto the typical sonnet structure taught today of eight lines (octave) followed by a six line section (sestet). The octave contains the rhyme pattern of abba abba, with the sestet rhyming cde cde. in between the octave and sestet, there is normally a turn in the story, this is known as a volta, and is often but not limited to be found after the 8th line. Shakespeare wrote a total of 154. The first 126 to a young man and the remaining 28 to a dark lady.

Shakespeare's Sonnet 20

Shakespeare sonnet 20 is the most controversial of all the sonnets, due to the open expression of homosexuality, which was frowned upon in Shakespearean England. The sonnet was dedicated to a man.

A woman's face with Nature's own hand painted
Hast thou, the master-mistress of my passion;
A woman's gentle heart, but not acquainted.
With shifting change, as is false women's fashion;
An eye more bright than theirs, less false in rolling,
Gilding the object whereupon it gazeth;
A man in hue, all hues in his controlling,
Much steals men's eyes and women's souls amazeth.
And for a woman wert thou first created;
Till Nature, as she wrought thee, fell a-doting,
And by addition me of thee defeated,
By adding one thing to my purpose nothing.
But since she prick'd thee out for women's pleasure,
Mine be thy love and thy love's use their treasure.

Dedication page from The Sonnets

Analysis

The highlighted line depicts the most prominent example of homosexuality in the poem.

The first two quatrains of Sonnet 20 are written in a homosexual manner.

The first line makes the statement that he looks like a woman.

Seen positively by Shakespeare

Mention of nature, implies heavenly features and crafted physique.

Nature was particularly prominent in the time that it was written.

Key Terms

Sonnet

Italian for 'little sound'

Octave

8 line section in a sonnet

Sestet

6 line section in a sonnet

Quatrain

a stanza of four lines.

Volta

Turn of thought or argument, typically at the end of a sonnet. In a Shakespearean sonnet this occurs before the final couplet.