
What is the structure of a sonnet?
The sonnet is one of the best-known and revered forms of lyric poetry, with centuries of history and a profound influence on literature around the world. This poetic structure, which originated in Italy during the Renaissance, is characterized by its formal complexity and its ability to convey emotions in a relatively short space of time.
Over the years, The sonnet has been used by some of the most prominent poets in this field, from Petrarch to Shakespeare., maintaining its popularity. Structurally, these compositions are made up of 14 verses of 11 syllables each. They are distributed in 4 stanzas of consonant rhyme, the first two of 4 verses, and the remaining, of 3.
Historical context of the sonnet
the sonnet It has its roots in Sicily and was popularized by the poet Petrarch in the 14th century.The word used to distinguish it comes from the Old French "sonet", a diminutive of "son". Later, it was adopted by the Provençal "sonet" and the Italian "sonetto". Etymologically, its meaning would be something like "little song" or "little ditty".
Although this type of composition originated in Italy, with exponents such as the master Dante Alighieri, its structure was adapted and spread throughout Europe, especially in Spain and England. In these countries, authors such as Garcilaso de la Vega and William Shakespeare they used it with great merit.
Basic characteristics of a sonnet
The classical sonnet consists of 14 verses distributed in two quatrains —that is, four-line stanzas of major art— and two triplets —that is, three-line stanzas of major art. All the substructures are hendecasyllabic, although the rhyme scheme may vary. We will now explain their characteristics.
Quartets
The eight verses of the two initial quartets of a sonnet They usually present the main theme of the poem —in them the idea and the feeling of the author is developed—. These quartets have a rhyme scheme that can vary, but the most common is ABBA ABBA.
Example
1 quartet from sonnet XXIII (Garcilaso de la Vega)
"As long as rose and lily
the color is shown in your gesture,
and that your ardent, honest look,
"ignites the heart and restrains it"
Triplets
The six verses of the two remaining triplets usually serve as the conclusion or final reflection of the poem.. In this section, the poet develops a turn in the argument or expresses a resolution. The rhyme scheme of tercets can vary more than that of quatrains, but the most common are CDE CDE or CDC DCD.
Example
1 third of Winter (Ruben Dario)
«With its subtle filters a sweet dream invades her;
I enter, quietly, leaving my grey coat;
I'm going to kiss your face, rosy and flattering.
What is the structure of a sonnet?
To understand this section, it is necessary to be clear about the parts that compose it and certain concepts. These are some of the terms associated with the sonnet:
major art verses
This is the name given to verses that have 9 or more metrical syllables. This is identified by capital letters in alphabetical order—for example: a verse “ABBA.”
Regarding the latter, It is necessary to keep in mind that there is the figure of the Italian sonnet, which is a minor art sonnet, more specifically of octosyllabic verses. This form rhymes as follows: abab abab cdc dcd.
Example of a sonnet:
Excerpt from “Another Abel”, by Juan Ortiz
"I therefore geared myself and yielded
to the conditioning entity
without measure. From me he gave
what a wise lover gives,
far beyond the yes
on the high scale; a diamond
I was polished in everything: I was
Virgil, I was also Dante.
I fulfilled the measure given,
no fault was found in me,
nor in the intricate prayer
submerged in the lagoon
—with his back turned, alone—, not even in each
I pray to God under the moon."
Rima
As explained in previous sections, The rhyme in the sonnet combines the endings of the verses from the stressed syllableA very common way of organizing verse combinations is by having the letters of the alphabet in order. These make it easier for us to know which verses rhyme with each other. For example, a verse called “ABBA” shows that the first verse should go with the fourth and the second with the third.
Structure of a sonnet
Metric
Each verse of a sonnet must be hendecasyllable, that is: it must be made up of 11 metric syllables.
Stanzas
Two quartets and two triplets.
Rima
ABBA – ABBA – CDC – CDC.
NOTE:
It is important to remember that in Spanish, sonnets can present variants in rhyme. Among the most common are: CDE – CDE or CDE – DCE.
Polymetric Sonnets
It refers to sonnets with poetic compositions that They maintain a free metric structure, adjusting to the tastes of the writer. Rubén Darío was well known for his use of these verses, and he used them on several occasions. Among his poems in this style, his combinations of hendecasyllables and heptasyllables stand out.
Content and themes of the sonnet
Although the sonnet has a very rigorous structure, it is a perfect vehicle for the expression of human feelings. Traditionally, This has been used to express themes such as love, death, beauty, the passage of time and philosophical reflection.
The gap between quartets and tercets often serves as a turning point., where the tone or direction of the poem may change.
The importance of the sonnet in literature
As the centuries passed, The sonnet has been a key medium for the expression of intense thoughts and emotions.Its precise structure allows poets to organize their ideas in a clear and orderly manner, while the musicality of the hendecasyllabic verses creates a captivating melody.
In Spanish literature, poets such as Garcilaso de la Vega, Luis de Góngora and Francisco de Quevedo used the sonnet to express the complexity of the entire human experience.In English literature, authors such as William Shakespeare elevated the sonnet to new heights, exploring nature and the conflict between desire and reason.
Nowadays, The sonnet remains a popular form among contemporary poets. seeking to explore classical themes or experiment with their structures.
Three examples of sonnets by great authors
To the Count of Niebla (Lope de Vega)
The tender child, the new Christian Isaac
in the arena of Tarifa look
the best father, with pious anger
loyalty and love fighting in vain;
the dagger high in the dreaded hand,
glorious he conquers, intrepid he throws it,
The sun blinds, Rome is born, love sighs,
Spain triumphs, the African falls silent.
Italy lowered his forehead, and his own
He took away from Torcato the laurel in gold and bronze,
because no Guzmán being should presume.
And fame, the beginning of yours,
Guzmán el Bueno writes, being then
the ink blood and the knife pen.
Sonnet XXXV (Garcilaso de la Vega)
Mario, the ungrateful love, as a witness
of my pure faith and my great firmness,
using his vile nature on me,
which is to do more offense to the best friend;
being afraid that if I write or say
his condition, I abase his greatness;
His strength not being enough for my cross
has strengthened the hand of my enemy.
And so, in the part that the right hand
governs. and in that which declares
the concepts of the soul, I was wounded.
But I will make this offense expensive
It may cost the offender, since I am healthy,
free, desperate and offended.
Sonnet 3: Look at your mirror, and tell your face (William Shakespeare)
Spanish version
Tell the face you see when you look in the mirror,
that it is time for him to model another,
For if you do not renew your fresh state now,
you will deny the world and even a mother her glory.
Where is there a beauty, with a virginal womb,
that disdains the cultivation of your marital action?
Or where does the madman exist, who wants to be the grave,
of self-love and avoiding offspring?
Mirror of your mother, that just by looking at you
It evokes the sweet April that was in its spring.
Thus, through the windows of your age you will be able to see,
your golden present, despite your thousand wrinkles.
But if you live so alone, so as not to leave a memory,
die celibate and may your figure die with you.
Three examples of original sonnets
"I have been a lucky man," by Juan Ortiz
(Borgesian Sonnets)
I
I have been nothing more than a very lucky man.
What would the talents have been worth?
that I have developed if the events
dice would have led me to death?
There is luck, yes, I would say a lot.
There is no merit to be commended for me
more than having stood up and said "Yes"
to every enterprise found, to every struggle.
What anyone with great luck would do
If they had presented him with such a great
opportunity: without a broken bone,
without a major stumble than the day before
Every day... there was no shortage of coffee or beer,
nor of a matriarch the devoted love.
II
Luck of the salts with their banks
of legendary myths, shells,
of seagulls, gannets and waves
to wash the feet with its seeds.
A horizon of leaving whenever,
When the ordeals became very bitter,
and the same was true for rosaries
blessed by the old women in their waiting.
Waiting for children at sea and its struggle,
prayers to raise the shipwrecks afloat,
to call the mussel and the botuto,
prayer of the one who gives his all,
voice that mends, calms and lowers the boat
and comforts the tears of all mourning.
III
Lucky to be welcomed by a fisherman,
Firstly, on that unheard-of Island
of which so much is sung and recited
wherever the glow dwells.
If I had cultivated myself with the spear,
the hook, the cast net and the nets,
and count on that "My son, you can do it"
of my holy Glory and its strong upbringing.
Good luck, if it's not someone else who died.
sudden in the dark corners
stabbed in the back wounded…
brief light of living what was wanted
and lightly touch the heights
before sleeping the common forgetfulness.
«Obligatory polymathy», by Juan Ortiz
(Borgesian Sonnets)
I
I confess that I got carried away
for this strange life and its hazards,
to be able to navigate its seas
I went from one job to another as I went.
However, prior to my transmutation,
before moving between the altars,
I left exemplary works on these
to advocate for my worthy work.
I was not one of the crowd, I couldn't,
because my bread depended on my actions
for the house, to kill the agony
from the crunch of the guts; he was another Adam
left to the luck of the day,
And that is how I have lived: between one desire and another.
II
Blessed are those who persist
always on a single vital path,
what fate has in store for me
It was different: being one of those who dress
according to the wind, of those who subsist
depending on the hunger of the moment; tiring
Sometimes, I don't deny it, other times: divine;
However, I was never one to charge,
of those who destroy to shine,
My walk was in harmony with the services,
with the highest standard of delivery
the best of me; I was oblivious to vices,
except, irremediably, when loving:
its wide sky and abysmal precipices.
III
Just yesterday Lauro recited,
Albeniz, Bach, Tarrega, Diaz, Riera,
and the day before yesterday he was a fierce right-hander
with noble metals, a centaur.
It wasn't long before he was a Minotaur.
watching the black ink bonfire burn
in a labyrinth in verse and brine
under the funeral of the sign of Taurus.
Further back in the years, a horse
on a chiaroscuro war landscape,
And although I sometimes return, I no longer find myself,
It is not feasible for me to return full, pure,
The clamp, the callus, does not allow me,
the letter, life, the next wall.
«Dimorphism», by Juan Ortiz
(Borgesian sonnet)
Many times I sat next to Judas,
many others, I was the one who sold Christ,
and although my actions were not foreseen,
It breaks the soul to know itself, without a doubt,
and understanding certain harsh truths:
that one is Cain and Abel in a ready body
for the terrible. And despite the fact that seen
my luck, some parts are naked:
The horror of trusting the equal
for seeing myself within the other,
and expect the good knowing the bad
and its long-standing role
in the history of this lineage of salt
with little access to the sky and a wide abyss.