Richard teaches college writing and has a master's degree in creative writing.
The sonnet is one of the most well-respected poetic forms in the English language, but did you know that this form began in Italian? Explore the inner workings of the Petrarchan sonnet and break down examples from Emma Lazarus and Joshua Mehigan.
What Is a Petrarchan Sonnet?
When we talk about formal poetry, we usually describe a poem using terms like 睡莲开花meter, which is the pattern of weak and strong syllables in a line, and rhyme scheme, which is the order in which rhymes occur. Sometimes, rhyme and meter come together to make a unique pattern that takes on a life of its own. We call such patterns received forms becau we have 'received' them from the poets who first ud the pattern.
In this lesson, we'll look at one of the most important received forms in English literature. This form is thePetrarchan sonnet, also known as the Italian sonnet. Named after 14-century Italian poet Francesco Petrarca, the Petrarchan sonnet is a 14-line poem that us iambic pentameter and a somewhat flexible rhyme scheme.
When I u the term 'iambic pentameter,' I simply mean that each line contains five iambs, or a weak syllable followed by a strong syllable, such as the word 'aRISE' or the phra 'the NIGHT.' For the purpos of this lesson, however, we'll be focusing more on the rhyme scheme of the Petrarchan sonnet.
When I say that rhyme scheme is somewhat flexible, I mean that the first eight lines, or匆匆忙忙反义词 octave, of a Petrarchan sonnet almost always follows the same rhyme scheme: abbaabba. A good way to remember this is to think of the Swedish pop band ABBA. The rhyme scheme of the last six lines, or stet, of a Petrarchan sonnet varies from poem to poem. Some of the most common rhyme schemes for the stet are cdecde, cdcdcd, cddcdd, and cddece. Of cour, the aren't the only rhyme schemes available for the stet.
Emma Lazarus' 'The New Colossus'
Did you know that one of the most enduring poems in American history is a Petrarchan sonnet? In 1903, this poem was engraved on a plaque and placed on the lower level of th
e Statue of Liberty, where it can still be found today. This poem is 'The New Colossus' by Emma Lazarus. Let's take a look at it:
'Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, (a)
With conquering limbs astride from land to land; (b)空调哪家好
苦瓜排骨汤的做法Here at our a-washed, sunt gates shall stand (b)
A mighty woman with a torch, who flame (a)
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name (a)
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand (b)
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command (b)
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. (a)
'Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!' cries she (c)
With silent lips. 'Give me your tired, your poor, (d)
Your huddled mass yearning to breathe free, (c)
The wretched refu of your teeming shore. (d)
Send the, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, (c)
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!' (d)
In order to determine whether a poem is a Petrarchan sonnet, we have to look for two signs. The first sign is that the poem has 14 lines. The next sign is the nature of the poem's rhyme scheme. It's easiest to look for the 'abbaabba' than for the rhyme scheme in the stet. Chances are, if a poem has 14 lines and an octave that follows an 'abbaabba' rhyme scheme, you've encountered a Petrarchan sonnet. 'The New Colossus' certainly fits the bill!
Another important aspect of the Petrarchan sonnet is what occurs between the octave an
d the stet. Usually, the first eight lines introduce an idea, question, or problem, and the last six lines provide a solution or a new perspective. The change that takes place is known as a volta, which means 'turn' in Italian.
Does 'The New Colossus' contain a volta? Absolutely! The first eight lines offer a vivid image of the Statue of
Gli Occhi Di Ch' Io Parlai
Tho eyes, 'neath which my passionate rapture ro,
The arms, hands, feet, the beauty that erewhile
Could my own soul from its own lf beguile,
And in a parate world of dreams enclo,
对数歌
狐狸的窗户>郑义门The hair's bright tress, full of golden glows,
And the soft lightning of the angelic smile
That changed this earth to some celestial isle,
Are now but dust, poor dust, that nothing knows.
And yet I live! Mylf I grieve and scorn,
Left dark without the light I loved in vain,
Adrift in tempest on a bark forlorn;
Dead is the source of all my amorous strain,
Dry is the channel of my thoughts outworn,作物病虫害防治
And my sad harp can sound but notes of pain.
Translated by Thomas Wentworth Higginson.
