SONNETS

Forms of the Shakespearean and Petrarchan sonnets and their relationship to Shelley’s chosen form in Ozymandias

What is a sonnet?

A sonnet is a form of poetry that is usually used to express one’s love for another.

Sonnets have lines grouped in different ways:

Couplet – two lines
Quatrain – four lines
Sestet – six lines
Octave – eight lines

Within the group of lines, they follow a rhyme scheme particular to the type of sonnet (in this case Shakespearean or Petrachan). This is represented by capital letters relating to a particular rhyme pattern.

Shakespearean sonnets:

End in two lines that rhyme with one another, called a couplet.
Usually change the rhyming pattern every four lines – so that each sonnet is made up of three quatrains.
A traditional Shakespearean sonnet has a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, each letter refers a particular rhythm in the words.

Petrarchan sonnets:

All have 14 lines, usually split into two sections: an octave (A rhyming section of a poem with eight lines) followed by a sestet (A rhyming section of a poem with six lines).
The octave usually introduces the reader to a problem or conflict and the sestet then provides the solution. The change that occurs between the octave and sestet is called a volta
Tend to follow a rhyme scheme of ABBAABBA CDCDCD or ABBAABBA CDECDE

What is a volta?

Voltas can occur in both forms of sonnet.

The volta is a turn of thought or argument within a sonnet. In the case of the Petrarchan sonnet it occurs between the octave and the sestet. And before the final couplet in a Shakespearean sonnet.

Examples of argument transition voltas are but, yet, except and still.

Examples of time change voltas are then, next, or now.

Shelley’s Ozymandias:

In Percy Shelley’s poem Ozymandias, it is clear that the poem is greatly influenced by both the Petrarchan sonnet rhyme scheme and the Shakespearean sonnet rhyme scheme to amalgamate Ozymandias’ love for himself, his vanity.

*the fallen statue of Ramesses II at the Ramesseum in Luxor, Egypt, 1279-1213 BC

It is likely that Shelley (1792 – 1822) was greatly influenced by the works of Shakespeare (1564 – 1616) as his works by this time would have been widely recognised and respected.

The Petrarchan sonnet was originated in Italy by Giacomo da Lentini, a prominent and well-respected poet in the 13th century.

So, both sonnet forms in themselves are about love, an important theme in Ozymandias.

I think Shelley chose to incorporate both forms of sonnets because he respected them and wished to try something different. He wished to defy the standard rules of poetry and break with tradition, suggesting non-conformity and an anti – establishment position.

The rhyme scheme of Ozymandias follows ABAB-ACDC-EDE-FDF with less memorable rhymes (slant rhymes such as appear/despair), a fleeting rhyme that reflects the theme of fading with time. 15/03/24

Biographical information on Robert Browning and the influences that provoked him to write My Last Duchess

‘His poetic genius is most evident in his mastery of the dramatic monologue as a technique for powerful poetic narrative and rich psychological portraiture.’

William Browning was born in 1812 in Southeast London, into a family that valued education and intellectual exploration. His father, a clerk at the Bank of England, owned an extensive collection of books that encouraged Browning to delve into a broad spectrum of literature. As a result, his early reading included not only poetry but also history and educational texts, which profoundly influenced his writing and helped him develop a reputation for possessing an expansive knowledge base.

The poet who had the most significant impact on Browning during his formative years was Percy Bysshe Shelley. The ideals he encountered in Shelley’s work—such as atheism and vegetarianism—shaped both his lifestyle choices and philosophies. Browning’s admiration soon grew to encompass other great Romantic poets, including Keats and Byron, whose voices further enriched his own poetic expression.

Due to his family’s considerable wealth, Browning had the unique opportunity to pursue poetry without the immediate pressure of financial insecurity. This freedom allowed him to refine his craft without the constraint of needing to earn a living from it. Though his formal education was limited, his parents were intellectual powerhouses who instilled a wealth of knowledge in him. His father, well-versed in Greek and Latin, passed on his insights, while his mother, Sarah Anna Wiedemann, provided a spiritual and religious education, having been born in Scotland to German parents and being a devoted churchgoer.

However, Browning’s non-conformist beliefs barred him from studying or working at many prestigious English universities. His brief attendance at London University, combined with a few trips abroad, constituted the majority of his university experience, yet it was in this setting that he began publishing his first plays and longer poems. His debut work, Pauline: A Fragment of a Confession, is infused with the personal anxieties and passions of his youth, touching on the vulnerabilities he felt growing up in such a complex environment. Criticism of this work, particularly John Stuart Mill’s condemnation of the dramatic monologue’s “intense and morbid self-consciousness,” deeply affected Browning. It led him to resolve never to publish anything so intimately revealing again, committing instead to a more objective and impersonal approach to his writing.

*photograph of Robert Browning taken by Herbert Rose Barraud in 1888 AD

In the following years, Browning continued to build his reputation, with notable publications such as Paracelsus (1835) and Sordello (1840), the latter of which faced harsher scrutiny. Nevertheless, by this time, Browning had emerged as one of the leading poets of his era, producing several renowned poems, including the famous My Last Duchess.

The poem itself invites contemplation of the intense emotions and profound themes that likely fueled its creation. Browning’s personal life during this period was marked by significant connections that mirrored the poem’s narrative. In 1844, Elizabeth Barrett published ‘Poems‘, which featured praise for Browning’s work. Their correspondence soon blossomed into love, despite her frail health and tyrannical father, who isolated her and denied her essential medical care. Driven by love and defiance, Browning and Barrett married secretly and left for Pisa.

What stands out as particularly intriguing is the striking parallel between Browning’s life and the themes of My Last Duchess. The poem centres on a husband’s jealousy and paranoia regarding his wife’s fidelity—emotions that echo Browning’s own experiences with Barrett’s oppressive domestic conditions. Though these personal events unfolded after the poem’s 1842 publication, one must consider the possibility that Browning’s relationship with Barrett had begun earlier than is often assumed, suggesting a deep-seated tension in their correspondence.

The vividness with which Browning paints the Duke of Ferrara—the character that appears to evoke the controlling nature of Edward Barrett—is hauntingly powerful. It raises questions about the artistic inspiration rooted in the real-life dynamics between Browning and Barrett. Writers often draw from their histories and relationships to convey deep, resonant themes, and the intensity of feeling in My Last Duchess truly reflects the profound emotional landscape that Browning navigated in his life. The couple’s secretive marriage in 1846, after just a year together, further underscores the depth of their shared struggles and their fervent passion for one another, revealing the intricate weaving of personal experience and artistic expression in Browning’s work.