Q&A for How to Write a Sonnet

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Does a sonnet have to be about love?

wikiHow Staff Editor
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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

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No, a sonnet can be about any subject. A sonnet is defined by its structure rather than its subject.

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Do sonnets have to have 10 syllables in each line?

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Most sonnets consist of 14 decasyllabic (10-syllable) lines, but there are variants with more or fewer syllables per line. For example, a sonnet might have 8 or even 12 syllables in each line.

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How do you write a sonnet in MLA format?

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wikiHow Staff Editor

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The MLA format is used for formal academic writing, so it’s not something you’d really use for writing poetry. However, you can cite a sonnet in MLA format.

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Question

I need a sonnet for "forever there." Any advice?

Community Answer

Read some sonnets by Edmund Spenser.

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Question

I need to make a sonnet about the importance of living a moral life. What should I do?

Community Answer

Read some of Shakespeare's sonnets on morality. They may inspire you. An example of this is Shakespeare's Sonnet 29.

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How do I determine if my sonnet is iambic?

Donagan

Top Answerer

It's iambic if each line's second syllable -- and every second syllable after that -- is accented. An example is "I did but see her passing by, and yet I love her till I die." Beginning with "did" and again with "yet," every second syllable is stressed.

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What's with the with alphabetic letters like aba, cdc, efe and ghg?

Donagan

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That's a notation for rhyme scheme: lines with the same letter designation rhyme with each other.

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What are some examples?

Donagan

Top Answerer

See Shakespeare's sonnets. Also do a websearch for "sample sonnets."

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Do sonnets always need a rhyme scheme?

Community Answer

Yes, sonnets are distinguished from other types of poems on the basis of their formal rhyme scheme and having fourteen lines.

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How many sonnets make for a specific topic?

Tom De Backer

Top Answerer

Usually, one sonnet covers one topic. Sometimes, multiple sonnets form a cohesive unit, each shining a light on some specific aspect of a larger subject, but in that case they must each individually be completely independent from each other. If you want to do this, then there are no rules as to how many sonnets it takes.

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How do I find the rhyming words if they are not coming?

Community Answer

Do an online search for "rhyming dictionary".

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Where can I find an example of a Shakespearean rhyme scheme?

Donagan

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His rhyme scheme was ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. See any of his sonnets.

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Question

How can I come up with ideas for a sonnet?

Community Answer

Just write whatever’s on your mind. Maybe do a search. Possibly go somewhere for inspiration. It could be about anything.

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Do I have to use Shakespearean language?

Torpi

Top Answerer

No. Many poets have written sonnets without using Shakespearean language - and Shakespeare may have written some of the most famous sonnets, but he didn't invent the form.

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Can you write a sonnet about a person?

Torpi

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Yes. A sonnet can be about anything. Most of Shakespeare's sonnets are about people.

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Does a sonnet have to have a set amount of syllables per line?

Donagan

Top Answerer

Typically yes. See Method 1 Step 2 above. Some sonnets, however, do not follow that pattern as the above article explains.

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How should iambic pentameter be used?

Donagan

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That subject is covered quite well in Method 1 Step 2 above.

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