How to Write a Sonnet
A sonnet is a literary work of art. It has two main types; it could be Shakespearean or English. It could also be Italian or Petrarchan. Though some say that sonnets are hard to work on to, it is still a very satisfying poem to do.
In writing a sonnet, the first thing that you’ll need is the materials. Pen and paper will do. You will also need dictionaries and thesaurus to aid you in maintaining the rhyme scheme. To start with, you must be aware that a sonnet is a fourteen line poem. In an Italian sonnet, you are required to maintain an A-B-B-A-A-B-B-A rhyme scheme in the octant or the first eight lines. On the other hand, the next six lines or what we refer to as sestet need to have a C-D-E-C-D-E or C-D-C-D-C-D.
The first step in writing a sonnet is to choose a subject matter. Traditional ones involve themes like love and philosophy. But you could choose any topic that you like. Second is to divide your sonnet into two parts. Just like any other literary work, make the first part an introduction or something that will introduce the topic to your readers. Then the next part is to conclude your poem.
The first sections of sonnets usually are its first three quatrains or three stanzas with four lines each. Most writers apply the iambic pentameter in their sonnets. Apply the designated rhyme schemes when you write. Dictionaries and thesaurus will be of great use in this part.
For the last two lines of your sonnet, make a conclusion or climax. You could apply the rhyme scheme of that in the Italian sonnet and you could also have a pair of lines where the last two words rhyme. These two lines are what we refer to as couplet.
After, doing all this, you now have your own sonnet. Just continue to be creative and imaginative. Who knows? You might be the next Shakespeare in our time.
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