The English Renaissance and the sonnet
In a nutshell
The English Renaissance was a cultural and creative period from the 16th century to the 17th century. During the English Renaissance, literature in England started to flourish with songs and poetry of which the sonnet, a rhythm pattern, was one of the most remarkable features of the time.
The English Renaissance
The English Renaissance started with Henry VIII's reign in 1509 and finished in 1660 with the beginning of the Restoration. It was an artistic and cultural movement with a strong Protestant influence as a consequence of the separation from the Catholic Church. The English literature of this period did not have its focus on the pagan serenity of the Italian Renaissance and visual arts such as sculpting or drawing were not so significant.
HUMANISM
As a result of the Protestantism impact, England was trying to break free from the Italian influence that was linked to Rome and the Pope. This originated a new literary and intellectual movement called 'New Learning' or 'Humanism' which centered on what it is to be human and not in religion. Humanist scholars and translators influenced the development of this literary movement, especially Erasmus of Rotterdam. The 'New Learning' was established in grammar schools all over the country, and also in Oxford and Cambridge university.
The Golden Age of Poetry
The sonnet was one of the most representative aspects of poetry during the Renaissance. It originated in Italy by Dante and Petrarch and was then introduced in England by Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard. Canzoniere by Petrarch became the model for most European Renaissance poets, and had a satisfactory effect in England due to the veneration of Queen Elizabeth I, who used to be called 'the Faerie Queene'.
THE SONNET
The sonnet is a fourteen-line poem with a rhyme scheme that can have different variations. The sonnet usually expresses a situation or issue with a turn or resolution in its concluding lines. Furthermore, the regular topics of the sonnet were faith, love, beauty, art, jealousy, and the passage of time.
RHYME SCHEME
There are several variations of the rhyme schemes of the sonnet. The 'Italian' or 'Petrarchan' sonnet is composed of one octave plus a sestet. On the other hand, the 'English' sonnet is represented by Shakespeare's work which is structured of three quatrains and a final couplet.
the italian sonnet
| the english or shakesperean sonnet
|
| 14 lines of iambic pentameter. | 14 lines of iambic pentameter. |
| Divided into 2 sections: the octave presents an issue and the sestet gives a resolution. | Divided into 4 sections: 3 quatrains present an issue and couplet sumps up or solve the issue. |
| Rhyme scheme: ABBAABBA for the octave, CDECDE, or CDCDCD for the sestet. | Rhyme scheme: 1st Quatrain: ABAB 2nd Quatrain: CDCD 3rd Quatrain: EFEF Couplet: GG |
| Turning point: at the end of the eighth or ninth line. Sometimes introduced with words such as if, and, so, yet, when, then, but. | Turning point: at the end of the eighth or ninth line. Sometimes introduced with words such as if, and, so, yet, when, then, but. |
Example
| That thou hast her, it is not all my grief,
And yet it may be said I love her dearly; That she hath thee is of my wailing chief, A loss in love that touches me more nearly. Loving offenders, thus I will excuse ye: Thou dost love her because thou know'st I love her, And for my sake even so doth she abuse me, Suff'ring my friend for my sake to approve her. If I lose thee, my loss is my love's gain, And losing her, my friend hath found that loss; Both find each other, and I lose both twain, And both for my sake lay on this cross. But here's the joy: my friend and I are one; Sweet flattery! then she loves but me alone. | (Shakespeare, William) |
