Sonnets have a basic structure in that they are lyric poems written in 14 lines of iambic pentameter (five sets of unstressed syllables followed by stressed syllables), however the form varies in regard to stanzas and rhyme scheme.

The sonnet originated in Italy in the 13th century. In the 14th century, Petrarch produced what was to become the most important group of sonnets in European literature. Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries Petrarch remained the dominant influence in Renaissance lyric poetry, particularly in the sonnet.

The Italian sonnet was introduced into English poetry by Thomas Wyatt. During the Elizabethan era, producing a sonnet series became fashionable for aspiring writers. Sonnet cycles were written by Shakespeare as well as many others.

The central theme in these cycles was the love of the poet for a beautiful but unattainable woman. The convention governing the relationship between the poet and the lady was inflexible. She was the cruel fair whose favour he sought endlessly, but hopelessly. Her eyes were “stars” capable to emitting “angry sparks”. Her hair was “gold wires”, her cheeks “roses” and her lips “cherries”. Poets of the time attempted to exhibit ingenuity in devising new variations of the old theme.

There are two main types of sonnets:

The Italian or Petrarchan sonnet. This type of sonnet has a rhyme scheme of abbaabba cdecde (or sometimes cdcdcd) which divides the poem into an eight-lined octave (poetic question or problem) and a six-lined sestet (answer to octave’s question). The shift from octave to sestet is often a point of dramatic change, called a volta (Italian for turn).

The English or Shakespearean sonnet. In this form the lines are divided into three stanzas, or quatrains, plus a final couplet. The quatrains create a mood, set a scene or develop a character; the couplet summarizes or concludes the poem. The rhyme scheme is usually abab cdcd efef gg.

Sonnets may seem strictly controlled and predetermined, but for the Elizabethans the intricate pattern of the sonnet had an intrinsic beauty. They would have valued the sonnet pattern as a challenge to their skills as poets. More importantly, the Elizabethans would have thought of the formal demands of the sonnet, not as restrictions or limitations, but as expressive resources that give shape, organization and emphasis to what is said.