Literary Genre Sonnet Essay - Mid Term PDF

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Literary Genre Sonnet Essay - Mid Term ...

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The Evolution of the Sonnet Word Count: 1623

The sonnet is a poetic genre built upon strict guidelines and centuries of literary tradition. The rhyme scheme, structure, and content of every sonnet are shaped by those that have come before. Authors will adjust their vocabulary and punctuation to maintain the poetic canon laid down by the perceived forefathers of the sonnet; Petrarch, Shakespeare, and Spencer. However, the rules of the sonnet have been adjusted throughout history, as literature has disregarded strict structure in the name of content and artistic freedom. Additionally, like all literary genres, sonnets have moved away from their cliché themes, as poets have dared to explore new topics. This essay will explore how the strong tradition of sonnet structure and content has evolved throughout poetic history by examining “Who so list to hount I knowe where is an hynde” by Sir Thomas Wyatt published in 1540, “Sonnet. On being Cautioned against Walking on a Headland Overlooking the Sea, Because It was Frequented by a Lunatic” by Charlotte Smith published in 1797, and “Maundy Thursday” by Wilfred Owen published in 1912. Petrarchan sonnets have a standard fourteen lines, a planned rhyme scheme, and in some English versions an iambic pentameter, but metre is more cemented in Shakespearian (or Elizabethan) sonnets. Most significantly for content, Petrarchan sonnets contain a volta, a sort of turn. If the beginning of the sonnet is a question, the volta signifies the transition to the answer. “Who so list to hount I knowe where is an hynde,” is an example of a Petrarchan sonnet in the English language. Within the sonnet, Wyatt is clearly following an ABBA rhyme scheme, the first four lines are completed with hynde, more, sore, and behinde. Wyatt was a known translator of Petrarchan works, so his familiarity with the form is to be expected.

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Wyatt introduces the volta with both content and structure, as the lines are broken into a standard Petrarchan octave and sestet, allowing the reader to see a physical break between query and resolution. At the beginning of the poem, Wyatt introduces an ideal of a pursuable woman he can catch, then stating in lines four and five “I awe of them that farthest cometh behinde; yet may I by no meanes my weried mynde,” Wyatt admits that he has fallen behind and yet is not disheartened (Wyatt 80). However, in line eight, the volta takes place, “sithens in a nett I seke to hold the wynde,” which establishes the metaphor that perusing this woman is like trying to catch wind in a net, it is simply impossible (Wyatt 80). The exploration of the volta also demonstrates the theme that Wyatt is exploring; unrequited love. While not all sonnets were of this topic, many produced by Petrarch were, “the poet serves his lady as a vassal and praises her perfections while complaining of her cruelty” (Rivers 2). Wyatt even goes so far as to revert back to Latin, in his second to last line stating “noli me tangere” (Wyatt 80). Latin or Latin-based languages were preferred for poetry as they fit a Petrarchan rhyme scheme much better. It can be seen that Wyatt is following the poetic tradition to a tee, no doubt in an effort to match the work of past masters. “Sonnet. On being Cautioned against Walking on a Headland Overlooking the Sea, Because It was Frequented by a Lunatic” by Charlotte Smith is a far departure from the Petrarchan tradition of Wyatt. Separated from Wyatt by more than three hundred years, there is some expected evolution. Firstly, Smith has embraced the Shakespearian form, which was developed after Wyatt. The rhyme scheme follows ABAB, with the opening lines concluding with hies, slow, eyes, and below. The more modern Shakespearian form also has four quatrains and a rhyming couplet. It has been suggested that this structure is more favourable to the English language, which has far fewer rhyming words than a strictly Latin-based languages. This is evidence of the clear evolution of the form, as more works began to be published in English. However, Smith was writing in the 18th century, not exactly on the cusp

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of this Shakespearian innovation. It appears that Smith made a conscious decision to use this rhyme structure, as she clearly has experience using Petrarchan structure (evident in “Sonnet. Written in the Church-year at Middleton in Sussex.”) This is an example of an author allowing content to dictate structure, which was not seen before. While in the most obvious forms of structure Smith has strayed, in subtler ways, she has maintained the traditions of the masters. Smith uses an iambic pentameter, that is each line contains ten syllables and these syllables have a pattern of stressed and unstressed. This technique is introduced in early English sonnets. Interestingly, Wyatt uses iambic pentameter in the sonnet above. Smith also utilizes the volta in a very similar way to Wyatt and early sonnets. “Frequented by a Lunatic” opens with a question “is there a solitary wretch who hies,” which mirrors Wyatt’s opening (Smith 546). This questioning tone helps to establish the classic thematic structure of the first eight lines being a proposition and the last six a resolution. Despite leaving the octave and the sestet behind, they survive, almost ghost like, within the tone. Smith spends the first eight lines doing little more than a description of the place and the lunatic, noting his incoherent murmurs with line eight, “murmuring responses to the dashing surf” (Smith 546). However, she soon proves this description relevant when she conveys her desire to be like this man in line nine, “I see him more with envy than with fear” (Smith 546). She believes this man is not a public menace but someone who has escaped all expectation and self-awareness. He cannot lose happiness for he does not know if he has any. The progression of poem raises the question of the subject matter. Similar to Wyatt’s work, the poem concludes on a sad and longing tone, but they cover far different subjects. This evolution in topic is not unique to poetry, like all literature, societal progression allows authors to evaluate new areas. Charlotte Smith falls under the Romantic period, known for greater self-awareness and emotional range, this is most definitely reflected in her work. By

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this period in history, subject matter was more a reflection of the author and time period than a reflection of the form used. Clearly, Smith does not feel obligated to conform her sonnet to the subjects covered previously within the genre. “Maundy Tuesday” by Wilfred Owen shows how the sonnet has been revitalized and adapted in the modern period. Owen manages to construct a work that shares many characteristics with the poems of Smith and Wyatt, and yet he develops an independent take on the classic genre. Owen uses the Shakespearian structure, completing lines one through four with lad, kissed, sad, and prejudiced. Like both authors before, he utilizes iambic pentameter, maintaining ten syllables per line. Overall, the poem is simplistic, using familiar vocabulary and limited punctuation, which differentiates it from the sonnets of Wyatt or even Smith. It appears that Owen’s goal is accessibility, unafraid for all to understand his work, which is particularly interesting considering the topic it covers; religion, or rather the hypocrisy of religion. Controversial topics had been covered before in sonnets, but always in a subtler way. “Epitaph on the Earl of Strafford” by John Cleveland published in 1647, tackled the political controversies in England and a recent execution, and yet the poem is riddled with metaphor and complexities. Owen is incredibly blatant with his opinion, undoubtedly a partial by-product of the sharp reality developed under the modernist writing movement. Like Smith, Owen begins his poem with a description of Maundy Tuesday in his church, and after the volta begins a personal take. Owen and Smith have both made the sonnet personal, something that was not seen in early sonnets. While Wyatt describes his love for a woman, it is so generalized it could be any woman, and so was the point, specificities could generate quite a scandal in the oppressive Tudor society. Owen and Smith have been liberated by the development and acceptance of the artistic licence, they are allowed to write relatively freely about topics which they chose.

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Owen also takes some liberties with his sonnet’s use of punctuation. Punctuation in both Smith and Wyatt’s work is limited to commas, periods, and the occasional semi-colon, and this is to simply break up lines. Owen’s use of parenthesis makes his sonnet almost look like a play with stage direction. Lines four and five prove the point, “and knelt reluctantly, half prejudiced, (and kissing, kissed the emblem of a creed)” (Owen 859). Owen is describing the men’s actions as if to an actor, and in doing so unfolds the reality that is taking place in front of him. The men are not kissing the body of Christ, they are kissing the “emblem of the creed,” they are kissing out of obligation and habit, not religious devotion. This is the most significant development within Owen’s use of the sonnet, they are brutally honest, less poetic and simply truthful. Owen has removed the artistic frill that, up until this point, had accompanied the genre. The evolution of the sonnet is seen throughout time. However, while it has discarded little of its ridged structure, the main innovation has come within the freedom of content. Undoubtedly, sonnets covering classic and cliché topics are still successful, but now the genre is unrestricted by poetic or cultural expectations. The ability for authors to utilize the sonnet rhyme scheme creatively and innovatively has kept the form alive. Evolution is inevitable, and the sonnet has successfully adapted to the changing literary climate to remain relevant.

Works Cited Owen, Wilfred. Maundy Thursday. 1912. The New Penguin Book of English Verse. Ed. Paul Keegan. London: Penguin, 2001. 859. Print.

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Rivers, Elias L.. “Certain Formal Characteristics of the Primitive Love Sonnet”. Speculum 33.1 (1958): 42–55. Web... Smith, Charlotte. "Sonnet. On Being Cautioned against Walking on a Headland Overlooking the Sea, Because It Was Frequented by a Lunatic." 1797. The New Penguin Book of English Verse. Ed. Paul Keegan. London: Penguin, 2001. 546. Print. Wyatt, Thomas. "Who so List to Hount I Knowe Where Is an Hynde." 1540. The New Penguin Book of English Verse. Ed. Paul Keegan. London: Penguin, 2001. 80. Print.

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