RENAISSANCE SONNETS
ELIZABETHAN
PLEASURES AND
SORROWS
Ball at court (16th century)
Nicholas Hilliard, Young Man among Roses. ca.1587
Where is the young
man standing?
What are the
flowers?
How is he
dressed?
Where is is right
hand?
What do his face
and body express?
What social class
does he belong to?
RENAISSANCE POETRY:
THE SONNET
LOVE
DESIRE FOR
UNATTEINABLE
FRIENDSHIP
WOMEN THEMES
DESTRUCTIVE
BEAUTY
EFFECT OF TIME
INFLUENCES
DANTE AND
PETRARCH PROVIDED
A SET OF
CONVENTIONS THE
ENGLISH POETS
COULD VARY
THE LADY
Giorgione, Laura,
ca1550.
“ Think you,if Laura
had been
Petrarch’s wife, he
would have written
sonnets all his
life?” Lord Byron in
Don Juan (18121824)
Beautiful but cruel
Idealised figure influenced by
Plato’s philosophy
We get no insight into her feelings
but only into the poet’s interior
world
Her beauty is mortal and fades
with the passing of time
PARADOX
THE POET WISHES A LADY BUT
AT THE SAME TIME HE HOPES
SHE WILL NOT SURRENDER
HE HAS CONFLICTING FEELINGS:
GREAT HAPPINESS VS DEEP
DESPERATION
DELIGHT VS PAIN/JEALOUSY
THE SONNET
THE ITALIAN IMPORTED TO
SONNET
ENGLAND
(PETRARCHAN) (1580-1610)
TRANSFORMED
INTO
ELIZABETHAN
SONNET
ITALIAN SONNET: 1 OCTAVE + A
SESTET
A
B
B
A
A
B
B
A
C
D
E
C
D
E
PRESENTATION OF AN ISSUE
OR A SITUATION
8TH/9TH LINE: TURNING POINT
SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM
OR PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
CRIN D’ORO CRESPO (Pietro Bembo)
Crin d’oro crespo e d’ambra tersa e pura
Ch’a l’aura su la neve ondeggi e vole,
Occhi soavi e più chiari che ‘l sole,
Da far giorno seren la notte oscura,
Riso,ch’acqueta ogni aspra pena e dura,
Rubini e perle,ond’escono parole
Sì dolci, ch’altro ben l’alma non vole,
Man d’avorio,che i cor ristringe e fura,
Cantar ,che sembra d’armonia divina,
Senno maturo a la più verde etade,
Leggiadria non veduta unqua fra noi,
Giunta a somma beltà somma
onestade,
Fur l’esca del mio foco, e sono in voi
Grazie , ch’a poche il ciel largo destina
ELIZABETHAN SONNET: 3
QUATRAINS AND 1 COUPLET
1 ST QUATRAIN A
B
A
B
2ND QUATRAIN C
D
C
D
3RD QUATRAIN E
F
E
F
FINAL COUPLET G
G
( THE CONCLUSION ADDS AN
EPIGRAMMATIC TONE)
THE ELIZABETHAN SONNET
WAS IMPORTED TO ENGLAND BY
SIR THOMAS WYATT AND BY THE
EARL OF SURREY
THE FAVOURITE INSTRUMENT OF
THE POETS OF QUEEN’S
ELIZABETH’S COURT
IS A MORE FLEXIBLE FORM
IT ALLOWS:
TO USE THE TWELVE LINES
TO DEAL WITH A SUBJECT,
THEN CONFIRM OR DENY IT IN
THE FINAL COUPLET
TO DEVELOP THE CONTENT
AS IN THE PETRARCHAN
SONNET BUT WITH A
DIFFERENT SET OF RHYMES
TO PRODUCE THREE
DIFFERENT ARGUMENTS OR
EXAMPLES AND DRAW
CONCLUSIONS IN THE FINAL
RHYMING COUPLET
THE COUPLET TENDS TO BE
EPIGRAMMATIC AND WITTY IN
TONE