What does sonnet mean?
A sonnet is a poem, most often lyric or reflective in character, that consists of fourteen lines. Its defining feature is the number of lines, while its metre and rhyme scheme vary: an English sonnet may use iambic pentameter and either Shakespearean or Petrarchan rhyme patterns, while Italian and other European traditions have their own conventions. The form has a long history and became especially prominent in English through poets such as Shakespeare, John Keats, William Wordsworth, and Elizabeth Bishop. To call a poem a sonnet suggests formal structure, concentration, and careful control of language rather than simply a brief poem. The word is also commonly used in discussions of literary history, adaptation, and poetic technique, as in references to sonnet sequences and the sonneteer. Its name ultimately comes from a European literary tradition in which the sonnet developed as a distinct poetic form.
nounA sonnet is a poem, typically lyric in nature, consisting of fourteen lines. Its metre and rhyme scheme vary according to the poetic tradition in which it is written.
- A poem, usually lyric in character, consisting of fourteen lines.
"She wrote a sonnet about the changing light over the river."
"The anthology contains a sonnet that explores love through the changing seasons."
"The poet's sonnet sequence draws on the conventions of the Italian tradition."
The plural is used when referring to multiple sonnets or to a collection or sequence of sonnets.
"The anthology contains sonnets written in several different traditions."
A sonnet packs a complete poetic shape into fourteen lines, making brevity part of its art.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sonnet come from?
The English word entered use in the sixteenth century, borrowed from French sonnet. French had taken the term from Italian sonetto, a diminutive of son, meaning “sound” or “melody,” which ultimately derives from Latin sonus. The same Latin root underlies related words such as sonata, sonority, sonorous, and sonic, although their meanings and historical pathways are distinct.
Related word forms
How sonnet is actually used
Sonnet is primarily a literary term and is most often used for poetry. In English, the term usually denotes a fourteen-line poem, although the metre and rhyme scheme can differ substantially between traditions.