Guide to the sonnet form

This A3 guide provides a comprehensive guide to all the variations on the sonnet form, explaining the difference between the Italian (Petrarchan), English (Shakespearean/Spenserian) and American forms.

Each variation is illustrated with an annotated example, broken down in terms of metre, structure and rhyme scheme, with colour-coding and symbols used to make it more accessible for students. The lower half of the page also includes a corresponding set of rules that students can use to analyse other sonnets or construct their own.

In addition, the guide also includes basic information on the following things:

• stressed and unstressed syllables
• iambic pentameter
• common themes
• voltas
• octaves, sestets, quatrains, tercets and couplets
• envelope rhyme (ABBA)
• alternating rhyme (ABAB)

For resources that go into greater depth on aspects such as rhyme and metre, please see my shop on TES.