Shakespeare’s sonnets. Sonnet originates from italian word “sonneto” and means a lilltle song Four types of sonnets: Occitan Spenserian Italian or Petrarchan.

Shakespeare’s sonnets

• Sonnet originates from italian word “sonneto” and

means a lilltle song• Four types of sonnets: Occitan Spenserian Italian or Petrarchan English or Shakespearean

•Occitan sonnet:

13. Centuryconserved

only in troubadour manuscript

Spenserian sonnet :

the English form of sonnet

named after Edmund Spenser

rhyme: abab, bcbc, cdcd, ee

Comparison• Italian/ Petrarchan sonnetCreated by Giacomo da

Lentinonamed after most talented

sonnet writer Petrarch (Petrarca)

Two parts: 1) octave, where the problem is opened (two four-line stanzas)

2) sestet, where the solution is given(two three-line stanzas)

rhyme scheme:Octave: a-b-b-a, a-b-b-a Sestet:c-d-e-c-d-e or c-d-c-

c-d-c.

•English/ Shakespearean sonnet

•Genre is named after Shakespeare because he was the most known poet

•Devided into three quatrians (group of 4 lines)

•Also has a conclusion at the end of the sonnet

rhyme scheme:

a-b-a-b, c-d-c-d, e-f-e-f, g-g

Shakespeare’s sonnets

• Main subjects: love, time, beauty• 154 sonnets form a collection

named “Shake-speares sonnets”

Believed to be Thomas Thorn

• TO.THE.ONLIE.BEGETTER.OF.THESE.INSUING.SONNETS.Mr.W.H.   ALL.HAPPINESSE.

AND.THAT.ETERNITIE.PROMISED.

BY.OUR.EVER-LIVING.POET.

WISHETH.THE.WELL-WISHING.

ADVENTURER.IN.SETTING.FORTH.

•                               T.T.

•The Fair Youth 1-126•The Dark Lady 127-

152(153,154)•The Rival Poet 78-86

Characters

The Fair Youth

•1- 126 sonnets•Earliest sonnets talk about the

benefits of love and marriage•After the 18th sonnet the tone

changes into love and passion towards to the young man (20th!)

•After 126th sonnet the young man is replaced by the Dark Lady

The Dark Lady

•127-152(153,154)•Is called “dark” because of her black

hair and dark skin•It is not certain who this lady excactly

was•Shakespeare describes her good and

also bad features•153th and 154th differ from the

earliers, these are based on Greek poems and tell a story of Cupid

The Rival Poet

•78-86 sonnets, within the Fair Youth series

•Identified as Christopher Marlowe or Goerge Chapman

•Has a competition with Shakespeare

Thank you!