Elizabethan Sonnets and Sonneters | English literature notes

Elizabethan Sonnets and Sonneters | English literature notes

Q. Write a note on the development of the sonnet as a literary form during the Elizabethan age?

Answer: Sonnet as a literary form gained immense popularity and acceptance in the Elizabethan period. Its origin was in Italy and it was brought to England in the early 16th century by Thomas Wyatt and Sir Henry Howard, The earl of surrey. In its original form the Sonnet was a short lyrical poem of 14 Lines which was perhaps first developed in the latter half of the 13th c. It was particularly associated with the name of the great Italian poet Petrarch though the form had been earlier used by no less a genius Dante. In its original form, it is a short poem that was recited to the accomplishment of music. The term sonnet is a derivated of the Italian word.

"Sonetto" means a little sound or 'Strain'. From its brilliant use by Petrarch, an Italian sonnet became known as the Petrarchan Sonnet or sometimes the classical sonnet because it became the model for the later poets to follow Petrarch addressed his sonnets of love to Laura and Dante.

The Sonnet form was introduced into England in the first half of the 16th Century by Sir Thomas Wyatt and Sir Henry Howard, The Earl of Surrey. These two English courtiers, after their return from a diplomatic mission in Italy. Began to write such verses for pleasure Sir Thomas Wyatt introduced the vogue of writing love sonnets and left behind 31 Sonnets of excellence and beauty. Ten of them were translations from Petrarch which all were written in the Petrarchan form apart from the couplet ending, which Wyatt introduced. Henry Howard, the Earl of Surrey carried further the Vogue of Sonnets writing and gave a new turn to the sonnet. He wrote his sonnets in three quatrains adopting an alternate rhyme followed by a concluding couplet abab, cdcd, efef, g. This form was most splendidly employed by Shakespeare later on Surrey's Sonnets were love Sonnets were written to General dine or lady Elizabeth Fitzgerald. They were Characterised by a note of melancholy and sadness. It was to the credit of Wyatt and surrey that they introduced the personal note in Sonnet writing. Surrey also wrote impersonal sonnets mashed by a note of cynicism and satire.