How To Write A Sonnet

Have you ever wondered how to write a sonnet? This type of poem has well established and specific rhyming and rhythmic patterns, which makes it a good choice for those who are new to poetry. Having a structure all laid out for you to adhere to allows you to dedicate all of your creative effort to what you would like to say when you write a sonnet. A Shakespearean or English sonnet contains exactly 14 lines. Each line is written in iambic pentameter; that is, they contain ten syllables and the emphasis is on every other syllable. For the first twelve lines, every other line rhymes: the first and third, second and fourth, and fifth and seventh, etc. The last four lines are composed of two couplets.

To write a sonnet, you will need:

• a pen
• paper
• a thesaurus (optional)

1. First, brainstorm about what you wish for your sonnet to be about. If this is a gift for your girlfriend, do you wish to write a sonnet about how much you love her? Is there a physical feature, such as her hair or her eyes, that you would like to focus on? The more specific the focus of your sonnet, the easier it will be to write.
2. Make a list of the ideas you would like to include when you write your sonnet. If your sonnet is about how you would do anything for your love, for instance, think of tasks you would do for her. They can be as fanciful as slaying a dragon or as ordinary as folding the laundry.
3. Begin writing the first stanza of your sonnet. This will contain four lines. The first and third will rhyme with one another, as will the second and fourth. Each line must have ten syllables. If you are having trouble finding rhyming words, look up words you are using in the thesaurus. You may find a word that rhymes or that works better with the poem's rhythm structure.
4. Write the second and third stanzas in the same way you have written the first. Do not be too hard on yourself if you are having trouble coming up with perfectly rhyming words while you write a sonnet. Even Shakespeare himself cheated and chose "loved" and "proved" as a rhyming pair in one of his best known sonnets.
5. Write the last four lines. These two are couplets. The eleventh and twelfth lines rhyme with one another, as do the thirteenth and fourteenth. As with the other lines, these each should have ten syllables.
6. Choose a title for your sonnet. This can be either a dedication ("For My Loving Girlfriend") or a description of what your sonnet is about ("My Love's Eyes are Like the Sea").
7. Write the sonnet's final draft. This one should look neat and clean in order to present it to your girlfriend as a gift.