The article contains —
What is Elizabethan Sonnet
Elizabethan Sonnet Sequence
Elizabethan Sonneteers
Elizabethan Sonnet Rhyme Scheme
Analysis of Elizabethan Sonnets
The Elizabethan Age is a glorious epoch in the history of English literature. In this epoch, not only the drama flourished luxuriantly but also songs and sonnets had their spontaneous growth, development and rich perfection.
What is Elizabethan Sonnet
In Elizabethan poetry, sonnets occupy a conspicuous position. It is a brief poem of fourteen lines with a special arrangement of rhymes. It is generally written in Iambic Pentameter and treats of one thought or emotion.
The sonnet in English Literature, is of course, not of native growth. It did not originate in England. The sonnet first originated in Italy and it reached perfection there at the hands of the master artists, Dante and Petrarch. Dante addressed his sonnets to his lady-love, Beatrice and Petrarch to his sweet-heart, Laura.
The sonnet continued to flourish in Italy during the 15th and 16th centuries. By the 16th century it had spread to Spain and France. It reached England through Wyatt and Surrey in the first half of the 16th century. Wyatt and Surrey went to Italy on diplomatic mission and they were charmed going through the Italian sonnets. Then they thought of introducing sonnet in English literature and they did so.
Sir Thomas Wyatt who was the innovator of English sonnet followed the Petrarchan model (whose rhyme-scheme was generally – abba, abba, cde, cde or cd, cd, cd). He made laborious efforts to copy and command over the Petrarchan variety of sonnets. His efforts were commendable but his laborious process to imitate the Italian model, affected the spontaneity of his verse. One of his remarkable sonnets is, “A Renouncing of Love”. The subject of such sonnet is generally the expression of love for the beloved.
Elizabethan Sonnet Rhyme Scheme:
Wyatt was successfully followed by his contemporary follower, Earl of Surrey. Surrey did not attempt to imitate Petrarchan model blindly. He made variations in the rhyme-scheme to suit the purpose of his poetry.
The new form introduced by Surrey, soon became popular and it was later on perfected by the great master artist, Shakespeare (whose rhyme-scheme was abab, cd, cd, ef, ef, gg). Surrey freed from the imitative tendency, gave his sonnets greater force and more liveliness than Wyatt and one of his remarkable sonnets is “The Soote Season”. The sonnets of Wyatt and Surrey were published in “Tottel’s Miscellany “.Â
Elizabethan Sonnet Sequence and Elizabethan Sonneteers
A very remarkable English sonneteer is Sir Philip Sidney. His ‘Astrophel and Stella’ contains a series of sonnets about his own frustrated love for Penelope Devereux, daughter of of the Earl of Essen. With Sidney, the sonnet was developed as a mature form of art and it became rich in artistic excellence. In the words of Charles Lamb, Sidney’s sonnets “are not rich in words only; in vague and unlocated feelings, too, they are full, material and circumstantiated”.
After the publication of Sidney’s sonnet sequence, there was a great outburst of sonneteering. Among the aspirants, Spenser was remarkable who bestowed on his sonnet-sequnce of 88 sonnets, the Italian name of “Amoretti”. He sounds the idealistic note far more clearly than any of his contemporaries. He identifies his heroine with the Petrarchan idea of beauty.
Another sonneteer of this age was Henry Constable, master of the tuneful note. He drank deep from the France-Italian wells to give his Muse full liberty of expansion. He christened his sonnet-sequnce by the name of “Diana”.
Next we may mention Thomas Lodge’s sonnet-sequnce, “Phillies” that appeared in 1593. Lodge improved on Daniel’s example as a borrower of foreign materials.
But the prince among the Elizabethan sonneteers was the sweetest ‘Shakespeare, Fancy’s Child’. In 1609, a collection of his sonnets was printed by Thomas Thrope who dedicated the volume to a certain ‘Mr W. H’ as being the ‘only begetter’ of sonnets.
It is very difficult to identify ‘Mr W. H’. The most probable explanation is that he was William Herbert, the Earl of Pembroke. Shakespeare’s sonnets are 154 in number. They are all composed in the English form of sonnet. The entire collection falls into two groups of unequal size.
The first group consists of a series of cryptic reference to his friendship, with a youth, probably Mr W. H. The second group consists of sonnets which are addressed to a black beauty whose hair is like ‘black wires’. The lady is perhaps, Mary Fitton, a lady of Queen Elizabeth’s Court. The last two Shakespearean sonnets are addressed to Cupid, God of love.
Shakespeare’s sonnets have literary qualities of first rank. In the depth, breadth and persistency of passion, splendour of style and above all, in their mastery of a rich and sensuous phraseology, they are unique.
Another Elizabethan sonneteer of high poetic rank was Michael Drayton. His well known sonnet-sequnce was “Idea”
Other sonneteers of less merit in the Elizabethan Age were Richard Barnfield, Giles Fletcher, William Percy, William Smith, Bartholomew, Griffin and Robert Tofte who were the disciples of Sidney, Spencer, Daniel or Drayton. The chief sonneteers at the end of Queen’s reign, were the courtly Scottish poets, Sir William Alexander and more. Thus, it can not be denied that sonnets of the Elizabethan Age are of great value in the history of English poetry.
You May Like to Read More: