Say it with a Sonnet!

Although not all poetry needs to rhyme, one of the oldest and most popular rhyming poetry forms in classical literature is the sonnet. Shakespeare liked them—he wrote over 150 of them! But many other writers have borrowed the sonnet form and have had lasting success. Shakespeare is but one of many poets to use the sonnet as a medium.

A sonnet always has 14 lines. There are two variations. One has a scheme of eight lines and then three lines, generally: ABBA ABBA CDECDE or ABBA ABBA CDCDCD. The more traditional Shakespearian sonnet has the scheme of twelve lines followed by two rhyming lines, such as ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. I like to think of the last two lines as the "punch line" of the poem. Lines in a sonnet are 10 syllables long. It’s a very challenging type of poetry, but well worth the challenge.

This is Shakespeare’s most famous sonnet:

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;

Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:

   So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

   So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

I think this is one of the more memorable poems in English literature because it’s meaning is clear and yet meaningful. A summer’s day, however wonderful, is fleeting. Yet the beauty of the person about whom this sonnet is written is destined to last much, much longer. The examination of the differences between the two is made rapidly clear in the poem, with the inevitable outcome of which of the two is the more beautiful, and can endure the longer. It is a very high compliment to the person for whom Shakespeare wrote this. And although that person has long since passed away, their beauty lives on his words, and we as the reader are the benefactors. As long as his words last as testimony to this person, their beauty will endure.

So, when writing a poem, consider a sonnet!

It is worth it, if you think on it!

Spring Into Poetry 2025 

Whether you love the rhythm of rhyme, the power of free verse, or the elegance of a haiku, this is your chance to shine. April is National Poetry Month, and to celebrate, San José Public Library will be hosting our Annual Poetry Contest. Share your original, unpublished work and you could win a prize. Entries will be published via SJPL’s Short Edition platform.

We welcome poets of all ages and skill levels. No experience needed – just a passion for words! Submissions will be accepted from April 1-30.

Learn More about Spring Into Poetry 

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