How to Write a Sonnet Using the Traditional Shakespearean Form

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Learn the rhymes, rhythms & themes of a true Shakespearean sonnet
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Sonnets are poems composed of 14 lines. The Shakespearean sonnet—also known as the English or Elizabethan sonnet—is written in iambic pentameter and has a particular pattern of rhyming words at the end of every line. The final two lines rhyme with each other and often turn the meaning of the sonnet into something new. The traditional subject of a Shakespearean sonnet is love (often unrequited or ambiguous love) but sonnets can be written on any topic. Keep reading for a complete step-by-step guide to writing a sonnet inspired by the bard himself!

Writing a Shakespeare Sonnet: Key Rules

  1. Choose a universal theme like love, grief, or mortality for your sonnet.
  2. Write 14 lines with 10 syllables each.
  3. Split the sonnet into 3 sets of 4 lines, ending with a pair of 2 lines.
  4. Follow the rhyming pattern ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.
  5. Make sure that every other syllable has a natural stress or emphasis.
  6. Include a volta—or shift in thought—around the 8th line.
  7. Offer a resolution in your final two lines (or “couplet”).
Section 1 of 4:

How to Write Your Own Shakespearean Sonnet

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  1. Many sonnets are written about love, lust, passion, lost or unrequited love, or the grief of losing a loved one. Shakespeare himself often wrote about time, love, beauty, and mortality. While these sorts of strong emotions make for compelling sonnets, you can really write a sonnet about whatever you’d like. [1]
    • Take some time to brainstorm—if you aren’t sure what you want the topic of your poem to be, start with an image that captures your attention or a quote you find thought-provoking.
    • Sometimes, writing a poem can help you sort through an experience that has confused or overwhelmed you. You might find yourself writing a poem to figure out your own thoughts.
    • Or, you could write about an important experience in your life, like achieving a certain milestone or spending a special day with a loved one. Shakespeare does this in Sonnet 22 , where he writes about looking into a mirror and seeing the signs of aging in his own face.
  2. In a sonnet, it’s important to follow an exact rhyming and rhythm structure. For a Shakespearean sonnet, follow the rhyme structure ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, where each letter represents a line and like letters rhyme with one another. Similarly, write each line in iambic pentameter, where every other syllable (starting with the second syllable) is naturally emphasized when spoken aloud. [2]
    • When it comes to rhyming, it’s okay to use “slant” or “near” rhymes where the two words have similar vowel sounds but are not exact rhymes. For example, “wake” and “wait” are slant rhymes. [3]
    • Keep these important rules in mind as you continue to write your poem. The rhythm and rhyme of Shakespearean sonnets is what gives them their iconic musicality and structure.
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  3. Every Shakespearean sonnet starts with 3 quatrains—or sets of 4 lines that have 10 syllables each. Write a first quatrain that introduces your topic in some way. It may be a good idea to start with the image, thought, or experience that first inspired your sonnet. Then, use the remaining two quatrains to further develop and reflect on different aspects of your theme or problem. [4]
    • Shakespeare often included “conceits” in his sonnets, which are extended metaphors that compare two things. You might consider carrying out a conceit in your three quatrains. [5]
    • For example, in Sonnet 130 , Shakespeare compares his lover to multiple natural elements, writing: My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
  4. A “volta” is a shift in thought or argument within a sonnet, usually indicating a turning point in the poem’s overall perspective or tone. Choose an image or statement that creates a moment of surprise or revelation or that presents an alternative perspective on the poem’s subject matter. [6]
    • Place your volta in your 12th or 13th line—you can include it earlier on, but it should definitely be placed in the latter half of the sonnet. [7]
  5. After your three quatrains, write a final set of two lines that rhyme with each other—this poetic structure is known as a “couplet.” Use your couplet to resolve an issue presented in the poem or to summarize the key ideas in your poem. [8]
    • In Sonnet 130 , for instance, Shakespeare satirizes the poetic tradition of comparing one’s lover to beautiful things. Instead, throughout the quatrains, Shakespeare writes that his mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun, and her lips are nothing like roses.
    • In the finishing couplet, however, Shakespeare reveals that he says all of these less-than-complimentary things to reveal that his lover is rarer and more unique than all these things. He also implies that, by not exaggerating his mistress’ qualities, his love is truer and more real than the hyperbolic love that poets usually express. [9]
  6. Include sensory details that help your reader (or listener) paint a visual image. Write about what you can smell, feel, taste, and hear. Sometimes people feel like they have to write poetry using “poetic” language , but the best sonnets are written in language that is simple and direct. Using clear and concrete language is a good way to convey strong emotional experiences. [10]
  7. Cliches are phrases that have been used so often in language that they no longer bring any meaningful information. For example, “pretty as a picture” or “cool as a cucumber” are comparisons that are overused to the point of being cliches. [11]
    • One way that Shakespeare avoided cliches was to make fun of them, such as in Sonnet 130 where he writes, "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red..." Because it was a common cliche to compare a woman's body to flattering images, Shakespeare does the opposite.
    • One way to determine whether or not you’re using cliches in your writing is to read your poem out loud to someone else. If your reader can predict the end of any phrase before you say it, you’re probably using a cliche.
  8. If you find that you’d like to extend your sonnet past the 14-line limit, consider writing a sonnet sequence, often referred to as “a crown of sonnets.” The sonnet sequence is a collection of linked sonnets regarding the same subject matter. [12]
    • Often, the last line of the sonnet doubles as the opening line of the following sonnet.
    • The final sonnet’s last line may be the first line of the initial sonnet.
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Section 2 of 4:

Rules of a Shakespearean Sonnet

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  1. Shakespearean sonnets are exactly 14 lines long. These 14 lines are divided into four groups (similar to the verses in a song). The first three groups have four lines each—in poetry, these are known as “quatrains.” The final group has two lines that rhyme with each other—in poetry, this pair of lines is known as a “couplet.” Traditionally, each line is the same length, containing 10 syllables each. Here’s an example of a Shakespearean sonnet structure from Sonnet 1: [13]
    • Quatrain 1:
      • From fairest creatures we desire increase,
        That thereby beauty’s rose might never die,
        But as the riper should by time decease,
        His tender heir might bear his memory;
    • Quatrain 2:
      • But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,
        Feed’st thy light’s flame with self-substantial fuel,
        Making a famine where abundance lies,
        Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel.
    • Quatrain 3:
      • Thou that art now the world’s fresh ornament
        And only herald to the gaudy spring,
        Within thine own bud buriest thy content,
        And, tender churl, mak’st waste in niggarding.
    • Couplet:
      • Pity the world, or else this glutton be,
        To eat the world’s due, by the grave and thee.
  2. A Shakespearean sonnet has a strict rhyme scheme that follows this pattern: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Lines represented by the same letter rhyme with one another. So, in a Shakespearean sonnet, the first three groups (or quatrains) feature lines with alternating rhymes. The final couplet features two lines that rhyme with one another. Here’s an example of the rhyme scheme in a Shakespearean quatrain and couplet: [14]
    • But thy eternal summer shall not fade , (E)
      Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st ; (F)
      Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade , (E)
      When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st (F)

      So long as men can breathe or eyes can see , (G)
      So long lives this, and this gives life to thee . (G)
  3. Each line in a Shakespearean sonnet is written in iambic pentameter , meaning that each line contains five iambs. An iamb is a pair of syllables in which the second syllable is stressed. In other words, each line of a sonnet should have 10 syllables, and every other syllable (starting with the second in the line) should be naturally emphasized when spoken aloud. Iambic pentameter is also the rhythm that’s closest to everyday English speech. [15]
    • Here’s an example of iambic pentameter in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 :
      • The opening line is written: “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun.”
      • When spoken aloud in iambic pentameter, it would sound like: My MIStress’ EYES are NOTHing LIKE the SUN.
    • Here’s an example of iambic pentameter in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet:
      • The famous line is written: “But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?” [16]
      • When spoken aloud in iambic pentameter, it would sound like: But SOFT what LIGHT through YONder WINdow BREAKS?
  4. Shakespeare’s sonnets were written mostly about love—whether that be happy love, unhappy love, unrequited love, or forbidden love. Later poets, most notably John Donne, also wrote sonnets about religious love. Grief is another popular topic for sonnets, especially as grief can be seen as an expression of lost love. [17]
    • So, while you can certainly write a sonnet about any topic that you’d prefer, a traditional Shakespearean-style sonnet should be about some sort of romantic or platonic love.
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Section 3 of 4:

Other Types of Sonnets

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  1. Spenserian sonnets are similar to Shakespearean sonnets in that they have 14 lines divided into 4 subgroups: 3 quatrains and a couplet. Also like a Shakespearean sonnet, each line of a Spenserian sonnet includes 10 syllables written in iambic pentameter. However, Spenserian sonnets have a more complex rhyme scheme of ABAB BCBC CDCD EE. [18]
    • The Spenserian sonnet is named after British poet Edmund Spenser.
  2. Miltonic sonnets follow the rhyme scheme ABBA ABBA CDE CDE. The 14 lines are split into 2 quatrains (sets of 4 lines) and 1 sestet (set of 6 lines). Traditionally, Miltonic sonnets explore an internal struggle or conflict, particularly in relation to political, spiritual, or intellectual pursuits. [19]
    • Miltonic sonnets were popularized by John Milton, a 17th-century English poet.
  3. Petrarchan sonnets have 14 lines that are divided into two subgroups: an octave (8 lines) and a sestet (6 lines). The octave follows a rhyme scheme of ABBA ABBA, while the sestet either rhymes in a CDE CDE or CDC CDC scheme.
    • The Petrarchan sonnet actually wasn’t invented by the Italian Poet Francesco Petrarch. It was first used by Giacomo da Lentini, a 13th-century poet who wrote in the literary Sicilian dialect.
  4. In the modern era, many poets write sonnets that don’t follow the exact structure of Shakespearean sonnets. It’s more common to see modern poets playing around with sonnet forms and making the poetic structure their own. For example, British-American poet W.H. Auden wrote the first non-rhyming English sonnets in the 1920s. [20]
    • Similarly, other poets have combined elements of Shakespearean and Petrarchan sonnets or written “inverted” sonnets where the order of the subgroups is flipped around. For example, you might see a sestet followed by an octave, rather than the other way around. [21]
    • So, how do you tell if these experimental poems are sonnets? Usually, if a poem has 14 lines, it can at least be loosely described as a sonnet.
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Section 4 of 4:

What is a sonnet?

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  1. While there are many different types of sonnets, almost all have 14 lines and a set rhyme scheme that the writer must follow. Thematically, a sonnet typically deals with a single idea or issue within its 14 lines, but the idea or issue is usually resolved in some way by the end of the poem. Sonnets usually revolve around universal themes like love, life, and death. [22]
    • The word sonnet literally means “little song.”
    • What’s a lyric poem? Lyric poems are a form of poetry used to express personal emotions like love and grief. A sonnet is a type of lyric poem (rather than a dramatic or narrative one).
      • In ancient Greece, a “lyric” was a poem written for accompaniment with the lyre, an early stringed instrument. Currently, lyric poetry is written as an expression of individual emotion.

Sample Shakespearean Sonnets

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    Shakespeare mostly focused on romantic love, but he also uses metaphors and personification, deep emotions, nature, and carefully crafted and articulate ideas to make his poems. All of these can translate into your poem.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/text/poetic-form-sonnet
      2. ↑ https://sites.udel.edu/britlitwiki/shakespeares-sonnet-sequence/
      3. ↑ https://www.owleyes.org/text/a-guide-to-shakespeares-sonnets/read/the-sonnet-form#root-18
      4. ↑ https://sites.udel.edu/britlitwiki/shakespeares-sonnet-sequence/
      5. ↑ https://www.poetryfoundation.org/education/glossary/conceit
      6. ↑ https://wilson.fas.harvard.edu/aphorisms/sonnets
      7. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/art/volta-poetry
      8. ↑ https://sites.udel.edu/britlitwiki/shakespeares-sonnet-sequence/
      9. ↑ https://www.buckingham.ac.uk/english/schools/poetry-bank/sonnet130
      1. ↑ https://digitalcommons.trinity.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1283&context=educ_understandings
      2. ↑ https://repository.rit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1053&context=jcws&httpsredir=1&referer=
      3. ↑ https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/text/poetic-form-sonnet
      4. ↑ https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50643/sonnet-1-from-fairest-creatures-we-desire-increase
      5. ↑ https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45087/sonnet-18-shall-i-compare-thee-to-a-summers-day
      6. ↑ https://www.nfi.edu/iambic-pentameter-2/
      7. ↑ http://ithacashakespeare.org/prod/201201/pdf/isc_2012_sides_male_under_30.pdf
      8. ↑ https://www.rct.uk/resources/secrets-of-sonnets
      9. ↑ https://poets.org/glossary/sonnet
      10. ↑ https://poemanalysis.com/poetic-form/miltonic-sonnet/
      11. ↑ https://www.huckgutman.com/blog-1/wh-auden-two-of-the-china-sonnets
      12. ↑ https://www.thepoetrylab.com/resources/rebecca-chapman/the-sonnet-now-inverting-forms-other-modern-twists
      13. ↑ https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/what-sonnet
      14. ↑ https://www.powerpoetry.org/actions/why-should-you-write-poem

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