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A sonnet is a classical form of poetry with the word sonnet bearing a meaning resonating with a little song. A sonnet refers to a short lyrical poem generally consisting of fourteen lines structured in one stanza. Sonnet two by Francesco Petrarch is an Italian sonnet, while sonnet 66 by William Shakespeare is an English sonnet. The two sonnets, Petrarchan and Shakespearean, respectively, manifest different styles and patterns in mood and tone communication. This essay aims to contrast and compare the two poems with much focus on the problem and resolution in the poems.
The poems portray two distinct structures named after renowned poets Francesco Petrarch (Petrarchan) and William Shakespeare (Shakespearean). The structural arrangement of the two poems similarly contains fourteen lines, characteristic of a sonnet. However, the fourteen lines manifest different arrangements and rhyme schemes differently, portraying the problem and the poems’ resolution. The Petrarchan sonnet arrangement takes the form of an octave (presented by the first eight lines of the sonnet) that addresses the problem in the poem. The remaining six lines, commonly referred to as sestet, address the problem presented in the sonnet. For instance, the octave in Petrarch’s sonnet two ends with the line /if fate so blest a death for me design/.
On the other hand, the Shakespearean sonnet arrangement takes the form of three quatrains and a rhyming couplet. The quatrains take the first twelve lines, with each quatrain taking four lines, while the rhyming couplet takes the last two lines after the third quatrain. In this style, the three quatrains present the sonnet’s problem while the rhyming couplet presents the resolution. The couplet in Shakespeare’s sonnet 66 starts with the line / Tired of all these, from these would I be gone/.
The characteristics of these two distinct poetry styles are a Volta, also known as the turn in a poem. The Volta exists to show a change in the line of thoughts or emotions often represented by words like “But” and/or “yet.” These often mark the difference or the point at which the persona transitions from the problem to the sonnet’s resolution—similarly, both poetry styles present with a Volta. The Voltas show a change in the personas’ emotions in the two poems, where they pursue another route different from what they were on prior. These points resonate with the point at which the problems and the resolutions become apparent. However, the Voltas appears in different positions in the sonnets. In the Petrarchan sonnet, the Volta occurs at the beginning of the sestet, which presents the resolution. In Petrarch’s sonnet two, the Volta appears in the ninth line of the poem presented by the line /But to my soul, thus steeped in joy, the sound/. In the Shakespearean sonnet, the Volta comes after the third quatrain in the fourteenth line presented by the line / Tired with all these, from these I would be gone, /.
The problem and resolution parts of the two styles present with different rhyme schemes, with each segment taking a structured pattern from the other. However, the different segments take different forms of rhyme schemes represented by different forms. In Petrarchan sonnet, the octave presenting the poem’s problem takes the rhyme scheme of abbaabba while the rhyme scheme in the sestet varies. In Petrarch’s sonnet two, the octave presenting the problem takes the rhyme scheme of abbaabba presented by the words incline/ sigh/ minstrelsy/ divine/ mine/ high/ die/ and design/. On the other hand, the sestet takes the rhyme scheme of deciding presented by the words sound/ heaven/ well/ wound/ given/ and dwell/.
On the other hand, the Shakespearean sonnet presents with a fixed rhyme scheme with the quatrains taking the scheme of ababcdcdefef and the couplet taking the form of gg. In Shakespeare’s sonnet, the rhyme scheme in the first quatrain is presented by the words cry born jollity/ forsworn. The second quatrain presents with the words misplaced/ strumpeted/ disgraced/ disabled/ while the third presents with the words authority/ skill/ simplicity/ ill. The rhyme scheme in the couplet is presented by the words gone/ alone.
The two sonnets’ structure manifests some similarities presented by the presence of certain features displaying the problem and solution in the poems. The personas in both sonnets present a problem, and the solution is differentiated by the Volta marking their beginning and the end. Nonetheless, in presenting the same problem, the sonnets also manifest some differences characterized by various features. The Petrarchan sonnet takes the form of an octave presenting the problem and a sestet presenting the solution. The Shakespearean sonnet takes the form of three quatrains presenting the problem and a rhyming couplet presenting the solution. The unique styles also present different rhyme schemes in the different segments and positions at which the Volta occurs. As such, the schism between the problem and solution occurs in different parts of the sonnets.
