The first, Astrophil, or Astrophel, is the lover of the stars, and “Stella” is the star that he loves. The title of this sonnet, which is used (with changing numbers) for all the sonnets, refers to the two key characters of the sonnets. This series of poems was composed in the 1580s and contained 108 sonnets and eleven songs. Even Shakespeare was not above changing things (adding a syllable, using an incomplete rhyme) every once in a while, although it was rare.Įxamples of Shakespearean Sonnets Astrophil and Stella 1 by Sir Philip Sidney Like all aspects of sonnets, poets have taken liberties with the meter and rhyme scheme. The first is unstressed, and the second is stressed. This means that each line contains five sets of two beats. The difference between the three quatrains and the couplet is clear.Īdditionally, as is the case in Petrarchan sonnets, this sonnet form uses iambic pentameter. The poem follows a consistent rhyme scheme that conforms to the pattern of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Rhyme Scheme and Meter of a Shakespearean Sonnet They are then followed by a concluding couplet or set of two rhyming lines.

Even if the poem is contained within one stanza of text, for the purpose of analyses or simply in order to come to a better understanding of what the poet is saying, it can be separated into three quatrains or sets of four lines. These are generally created with the basic form of the sonnet in mind.

These fourteen lines are usually seen together in one stanza of text, but throughout time poets have chosen to break the structure up into stanzas. The Shakespearean sonnet is fourteen lines long, as are all traditional sonnets.

2 Rhyme Scheme and Meter of a Shakespearean Sonnet.

Shakespeare sonnet 16