OUR FIRST ’BACK TO POETRY BASICS’ SESSION:
“LEARNING & UNDERSTANDING THE ENGLISH SONNET”
by Richard W. Jenkins
© 22 Oct, 2025

DETAILS OF THE ENGLISH [Shakespearean] SONNET
(taking notes for reference is a very good idea)

A bit of interesting and awakening study is ahead, but it will be for this first time only in order to familiarize everyone with the sonnet’s basics before we really “dig-in,” and, perhaps, as a brush-up for others … but, an enjoyably captivating and useful adventure in learning IS what we’re here for, eh? : )

BRIEF HISTORY
(In French, Sonnet means “Little Song”)
The Sonnet is over 800 years old, originating in the 13th century in Sicily. Invented by Giacomo da Lentini, the form became widely popular in the 14th century, most famously through the work of Francesco Petrarch in Italy, and was later adopted and adapted during the Renaissance by poets from other countries, including France and England.
Sir Thomas Wyatt is credited with introducing the Sonnet into English literature by translating the Italian Sonetto in the 1530s, using the Italian rhyme scheme, while Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, expanded on Wyatt’s work by modifying the structure to suit the English language. He set the rhyme scheme and adopted three quatrains and a final rhyming couplet format that has been used ever since.
William Shakespeare composed over 150 sonnets, becoming the world’s most widely recognized sonneteer, and is often mistakenly credited for originating the English Sonnet form.
The Sonnet is considered by Masters the pinnacle of rhythm, flow, cadence, rhyme, enjoyment, and poetical fulfillment for the knowing writer and reader alike. The Sonnet is the most popularly powerful, challenging, and enduring poetic form in history, composed by majority of the world’s most recognized poetesses and poets, until the present.
Yet, today it is the exceptional poetess or poet who is skilled and educated enough to compose a proper Sonnet … but, you soon shall proudly join that elite group who can.

I’ve heard said that a well-written Sonnet is the “Rolls Royce of Poetry,” and in my mind’s-eye, a poetess’ or poet’s education is incomplete until they’ve learned to compose a proper Sonnet.

IAMBICS
(eye-am-bics)

Iambics flow from short to long …
the rhythms of a well-sung song.
And, well-sung songs in poems’ rhyme
are songs that keep their beat in-time.

The heart of a Sonnet (and all great structured poetry) is its rhythm, its flow, its seamless meter, the manner in which it trips smoothly off the tongue, dances with the heart and soul. Particularly in a Sonnet, this harmonious rhythm so passionately strived for by all Sonnet writers, is called “iambics”, and the meaning of this must be learned and understood before writing even the most basic Sonnet correctly is possible.
Let’s first venture into what this great poetical mystery “iambics” is. Really, it is a very simple idea to grasp by most poets, but not always easy to apply to poetical composition, and as we proceed you’ll begin to grasp, know, and understand what I mean.
Let’s call it “iambic beat” or “iambic lilt” or “iambic rhythm, cadence, meter, etc”.
Vowel Sounds
Every word pronounced in English is with at least one or more short or long vowel sound.
In order to begin grasping the essence of what iambics is, “imagine” shortLONG, lowHIGH, softHARD, unstressedSTRESSED vowel sounds. You know; “opposites”, like yinYANG … some teachers even use vocal terms such as: baBUM-baBUM, daDUM-daDUM, deeDUM, tuTUM, pumpUP, etc; to mimic a heartbeat and help grasp, by sound, what an iambic is … you might create your own that suits you better.
My method is to simply pronounce a word in its correct manner to determine its iambic correctness. For instance: no one is going to “normally” pronounce “unreal” UNreal, “define” DEfine, serene” SERene, or “shampoo” SHAMpoo, etc.

Now, let’s apply these imagined vowel sounds to words.
When pronounced “normally” in English, every word contains at least one syllable that is either short or LONG, soft or HARD, unstressed or STRESSED in its sound.
Now, lets consider a couple of words together, “ah SO”. From this, we can also see that two or more words together can be soft HARD, and softHARD (in that order) is what “iambic” is – nothing more complicated than that.
For instance, the word “although” is both soft and hard…”al-THOUGH”. And, other examples are: three syllable iambic words: a-MAZ-ing and re-VIS-ing. Four syllable words: in-STRUCT-ion-AL and by-PART-i-SAN. Longer syllable words: e-VENT-u-AL-i-TY, and so forth.

Thus, I can see just what iambics are.
thus I / can SEE / just WHAT / iAM / bics ARE.

Each 2-syllable iambic is referred to as a “poetic foot”. Sonnets are composed in 14-lines of 5-poetic feet each (or, 10 iambic syllables), referred to as “Iambic Pentameter” (ī-ăm-bĭc pěn-tăm-ĕ-tĕr).

If this iambic order is reversed, let’s say as in the word “offer”, it is easy to see that “HARD (STRESSED)” comes first, then “soft (unstressed)”…”OFFer”, and this is called “trochaic” (trow-kay-ick).
From this, we can easily see that a word or line in a poem can be written either iambic or trochaic, depending if it begins “softHARD” (iambic) or “HARDsoft” (trochaic).

Now that we’ve come to understand the simple difference between “iambic” and “trochaic”, we can begin to understand the correct and the incorrect form of an English Sonnet, because ALL recognized forms of Sonnets are always composed iambically in softHARD / unstressedSTRESSED cadence, tempo, rhythm, or meter … iambic pentameter.

Look how different lengths of iambic lines are identified and defined.
(there are poetic forms composed in “iambics” other than Sonnets)
Generally speaking, lines in metered poems stay consistent in count throughout the composition (other than in iambic Free Verse and Free Style poems, and poems composed in 8/6/8/6 syllable-count Ballad or Hymnal meter, for example).
In order to avoid confusing our readers and to allow for an enjoyable and seamless read that flows, let’s say: “That which meaningfully metered poetry is basically designed to do.” And, it is this that makes it what is known, recognized, and accepted as excellent and appealing poetry, but we, as poetry writers, now realize that writing poetry in this manner requires considerable study, learning, understanding, practice, and mastery to compose an excellent metered poem.
Still, the novice knows only that what they are reading hits them powerfully, deeply, and meaningfully in some differently worded way that is appealing and desirable, and this is the core essence of why cadence, count, meter, and a structured flow is so important before superior and impacting rhythmical poetry is possible to be made accessible and enjoyable, most especially to the yet fully enlightened reader … and, especially to the most knowing and accomplished.

A list of metrically even “line-lengths”:
(you might wish to copy this list for reference or copy/paste it)
monometer (2-syllables)
dimeter (4-syllables)
trimeter (6-syllables
tetrameter (8-syllables)
pentameter (10-syllables)
[all Sonnets are composed in iambic “pentameter”: pěn-tăm-ĕ-tĕr]
hexameter (12-syllables)
heptameter (14-syllables)
octameter (16-syllables.

Here is an example of iambic “tetrameter” – therefore, the total number of syllables in the line is 8 (eight) or, 4 poetic feet:
From “In Memoriam” by Lord Alfred Tennyson, when speaking of death.

“i DREAMED / there WOULD / be SPRING / no MORE.”
“I dreamed there would be Spring no more.”

Here is an example of iambic “pentameter” – therefore, the total number of syllables in the line is 10 (ten), or 5 poetic feet:
From “Sonnet 33” by William Shakespeare, when speaking of sunlit meadows.

“’twas KISSED / with GOLD / en FACE / the MEAD / ows GREEN,”
“’Twas kissed with golden face the meadows green,”

Iambic Beat, Tempo, Cadence, Rhythm, Flow, Meter, Etc:
Note the “hopping” or “skip-along” effect created by pronouncing the lowHIGH, unstressedSTRESSED iambic tempo in the lines above. All sonnets have this singSONG effect.
So, remember that “iambic” is an example of “rising meter” where an entire line must begin “soft” and end “HARD”, and “trochaic” is an example of “falling meter” … it’s all (sort of) like making love …LOL! But, poetry is often like that, eh?

SONNET COMPOSITION
A Sonnet is classically dramatic, but in these modern times it’s really about literally anything (and it need not be written in the Kings Language of Shakespeare’s era: thy, thou, thine, etc; although, it can be fun, and some even like it).
Fourteen lines in three Quatrain verses and a final Rhyming Couplet verse – called a Heroic Couplet.
Presented formally, there are 14 continuous lines, but some prefer to separate the verses, or the Heroic Couplet with a free space, while some like to move the Heroic Couplet a few spaces to the right to emphasize it. I do all of these, depending on how I want the piece to read and be presented … this will be your choice to make.

RHYME-SCHEME OR RHYME PATTERN
Every other line rhymes, without the same rhyme being used twice; except, the ending Heroic Couplet rhymes with itself … as illustrated below:

Line 1 ends in an A rhyme. A (boy) … examples
Line 2 ends in a B rhyme. B kind
Line 3 ends in an A rhyme A (joy)
Line 4 ends in a B rhyme. B mind

Line 5 ends in a C rhyme. C (make)
Line 6 ends in a D rhyme. D smile
Line 7 ends in a C rhyme C (break)
Line 8 ends in a D rhyme. D style

Line 9 ends in an E rhyme. E (beam)
Line 10 ends in an F rhyme. F straight
Line 11 ends in an E rhyme E (stream)
Line 12 ends in an F rhyme. F great

Line 13 ends in a G rhyme. G fly
Line 14 ends in a G rhyme. G by

Therefore, the rhyme-scheme would be written: a-b-a-b, c-d-c-d, e-f-e-f, g-g

Finally, let’s consider what we’ve learned so far using following Sonnet example, composed by one of my graduate students:

Oceans of Love
(in Iambic structure)

as I was STUMB’ling THROUGH the SANDS of TIME,
dark STORMS were RAGing IN my HAGGard SOUL
the WAVES broke HARD with BEAUTy SO suBLIME
their SPRAYS of WHISperINGS, the MORE exTOL.

while I was PICKing SHELLS aLONG the WAY,
that TIDE had LEFT there JUST beYOND the BLUFF;
i THOUGHT to SAVE them FOR a RAINy DAY,
yet SOMEhow KNEW that THEY were NOT eNOUGH.

i HEARD the MESSage CLEARly, “GO withIN.
use ALL your SENSes FOR beCOMing WHOLE,
drink FROM my WAter, NEVer THIRST aGAIN.”
this EBB and FLOW touched DEEP inTO my SOUL.

from Oceans FILLED with LOVE by GOD aBOVE,
it’s SPRAY – wet, CLEANSED, and WASHED me IN his LOVE.

Susan Carmody Capozzi
©2023

Oceans of Love
(in finished form)

As I was stumb’ling through the sands of time,
dark storms were raging in my haggard soul.
The waves broke hard, with beauty so sublime,
their wispy whisperings, the more extol.

While I was picking shells along the way,
that tide had left there just beyond the bluff;
I thought to save them for a rainy day,
yet, somehow, knew that they were not enough.

I heard the message clearly, “Go within!
Use all your senses for becoming whole;
drink from My water, never thirst again!”
This ebb and flow touched deep into my soul.

From oceans filled with love by God above,
it’s spray – wet, cleansed, and washed me in His love.

Susan Carmody Capozzi
©2023

In its finished state, this is a most wondrously beautiful and soul-fetching English Sonnet, I think you can agree.

If I’ve (somehow) managed to lose you along the way, or if there is anything I’ve not made clear, or even that you don’t like, just let me know and we’ll hammer it out, because if you’re going to compose the splendid Sonnets I believe each of you are capable of, it is imperative that you grasp every facet of what it takes to do so … no one can “accidentally” create glorious Sonnets! : )

For a satire break, here is one of my own simple Sonnet you might get a smile out of.:

“The Good Bad Luck Sonnet!”

Contrary to belief, there’s no such thing
as luck, despite it happens all the time.
And, saying this, there’s been a sure upswing
of lucky breaks, sans reason nor of rhyme.

If this is true, then answer quick this quip:
“It’s hard work brings the greatest luck of all;
with perfect practice, dancers never trip.
Why, then, indeed, do sleepers always fall?”

Argh! It’s enough to deign Einstein inane,
to make the planets, all, come unaligned,
to turn the oceans to dry desert plain …
gift sight unto the absolutely blind.

To say I’ve gotten lucky, good or bad,
it’s just enough to drive a sane man mad!

Richard W. Jenkins
©2019

Though, I’ve composed thousands of sonnets – as examples, the few I have posted here are: IN THAT MOMENT | HOW YOU’LL KNOW I LOVE YOU | EACH NIGHT, FOR ONLY YOU | EXPLICIT⁓* With more coming, of course … like the total of you all, I write in many forms.
We’ve covered a lot of territory some of you may already know and are merely brushing-up, while others may be new altogether to the finer details of a Sonnet, but we’re all here to learn, share, and grow … I know I’ll never learn it all, and hope to never quit growing.
Questions or comments? Make them here so we can all share, or if necessary, message me after reading and I’ll get back with you asap: https://starsrite.com/members/richard-jenkins/

Lastly, write your own Sonnet from what you’ve learned so far. It can be about anything you conceive of. We’re not looking for a masterpiece, only to determine if we’ve gotten the basic gist of what the basics of Sonnet look like.
We can share, enjoy, and edit them together next session … above all, “Enjoy!”
We’ll see ya next Wednesday the 29th, with a follow-up and look-see at your new Sonnet.

’Til then, “Keep writing!” ✍🏼