Sonnets Flashcards
What Italian word does sonnet come from?
Sonetto
What does sonetto mean?
A little sound or song
Who made the sonnet popular?
Francesco Petrarch
Who did Francesco Petrarch write sonnets to?
A woman named Laura
What is a sonnet sequence?
A series of sonnets focused on a particular theme
What is iambic pentameter?
When each line has 10 syllables that alternate being stressed and unstressed
What are the 3 major sonnet forms?
Italian or Petrarchan, English or Shakespearean, and Spenserian
What is another name for the Italian sonnet?
Petrarchan sonnet
What are the first 8 lines of a sonnet called?
An octave
What are the last 6 lines of a sonnet called?
A sestet
What is the rhyme scheme of a Italian sonnet?
abba abba cdecde
What do the first 8 lines of an Italian sonnet do?
Present the problem
What do the last 6 lines of an Italian sonnet do?
Provide a resolution to the problem
What is another name for the English sonnet?
Shakespearean sonnet
Who did Shakespeare write sonnets to?
A dark lady and a young man
Why did Shakespeare write sonnets?
The theaters were closed because of the plague and he wanted to expand his literary works
What is the rhyme scheme of the English sonnet?
abab cdcd efef gg
What is a group of 4 lines called?
A quatrain
What is a group of two lines called?
A couplet
What do the quatrains in an English sonnet do?
Develops a problem
What does the couplet in an English sonnet do?
Gives a quick solution
What is the rhyme scheme of a Spenserian sonnet?
abab bcbc cdcd ee
How is a Spenserian sonnet set up
It has 3 quatrains and a couplet
What does the rhyming scheme in a Spenserian sonnet do?
It pushes the sonnet toward the final couplet
Who is the Spenserian sonnet named after?
Edmund Spencer
Who did Edmund Spencer write sonnets to?
Elizabeth Boyle
What type of sonnet is Sonnet 30?
Spenserian
What does the speaker in Sonnet 30 compare his beloved’s feelings to
Ice
What does the speaker in Sonnet 30 compare his own feelings to?
Fire
What do the comparisons in Sonnet 30 indicate about the speaker’s feelings and the way the speaker’s beloved feels about him?
Her heart is cold but he still wants her
What questions do the speaker ask and what do they indicate about the speaker’s love in Sonnet 30?
He asks why she wasn’t warming up to him and why he still loves her enough to keep going after her. It shows that he has unending love for her
What happens to the name the speaker in Sonnet 75 writes in the sand?
It gets washed away with the tide
What does the speaker in Sonnet 75 do after the name he writes get washed away?
He writes it again
How does the the poet of Sonnet 75 intend to eternalize the virtues of his love?
By writing a sonnet to her so it can live on forever
What type of sonnet is Sonnet 116?
Shakespearean
What is Shakespeare talking about in Sonnet 116?
That true love does not change when circumstances change and does not fade over time
What is the rhyme scheme of Sonnet 130
abab cdcd efef gg
What does Shakespeare say about his love’s eyes in Sonnet 130?
They are dark and unlike the sun
What does Shakespeare say about his love’s lips in Sonnet 130?
They aren’t red
What does Shakespeare say about his love’s breasts in Sonnet 130?
They are dull grey
What does Shakespeare say about his love’s hair in Sonnet 130?
It is black and wiry
What does Shakespeare say about his love’s cheeks in Sonnet 130?
They aren’t rosy
What does Shakespeare say about his love’s breath in Sonnet 130?
It stank
What does Shakespeare say about his love’s voice in Sonnet 130?
It was not pleasing to listen to
How do we know that Shakespeare loves his lover even though he points out her faults?
He says she is a real life woman and he loves her despite her flaws
