What is a sonnet?

A sonnet is defined as a 14-line poem that is typically written in iambic pentameter. This structure gives the sonnet its unique rhythm and meter, which is characterized by five pairs of alternating unstressed and stressed syllables. The iambic pentameter creates a musical quality that is one of the hallmarks of sonnet writing.

Sonnets often explore themes such as love, time, beauty, and mortality, and they generally follow specific rhyme schemes, which can vary depending on the type of sonnet (such as the Shakespearean or Petrarchan sonnet). This combination of form and metrical pattern allows poets to express complex ideas and emotions within the constraints of the format, which is part of what has made the sonnet such a revered form of poetry throughout literary history.