Sonnets V: The French Sonnet
It would be difficult for anyone who reads or writes poetry to have never come in contact with a sonnet of some kind. It is probably the most famous poetry form of all in its many variations. The classical poets who wrote sonnets often wrote them in a series that had a larger, more dramatic purpose. However, when writing a sonnet, you need to keep in mind, that each sonnet, even when created to complement others, should have a point and purpose alone.
The French variation of a sonnet is somewhat like both the English and the Italian and yet unique as well. Like sonnets written in Italian have in hendecasyllable verse, when a sonnet is written in French it is written in what would be called Alexandrines. Alexandrines are pretty much the same as iambic hexameter (12 syllables). So, when writing French sonnets in English, we have a choice, we can acceptably write them in iambic pentameter or in iambic hexameter.
The French Sonnet the same octave as the Italian sonnet (Petrarch) which is: abbaabba but it has a very different stanza structure after that as following the octave is a couplet then followed by a quatrain. While the English sonnets use the ending couplet as a volta and the Italian forms use a closing sestet as the volta; the French sonnet use a closing quatrain as the volta.
So, to write a French sonnet you will need to choose to write in iambic pentameter or iambic hexameter. You should have an octave in the rhyme scheme abbaabba followed by a couplet of cc and a closing quatrain with one of the following rhyme schemes:
1. deed
2. dccd
3. dede
I need an example of this form if anyone knows of a good one
Sonnets V: The French Sonnet
It would be difficult for anyone who reads or writes poetry to have never come in contact with a sonnet of some kind. It is prob
It would be difficult for anyone who reads or writes poetry to have never come in contact with a sonnet of some kind. It is prob
Included in the list
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I think Rilke wrote a few...
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soo......
dose any one know what pentameter means? -
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Pentameter means 5 "feet" to a line, iambic means diDUM so a line in iambic pentameter goes
di DUM di DUM di DUM di DUM di DUM
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I can speak a bit of French..so id love to take this class..whats required ??
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hello genie, just a minor typo towards the end of the column : "a closing quatrain with one of the following rhyme schemes ..."
maa -
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Thanks Marions ~Genie~
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This is interesting, I only learned English and Italian, and a little Spenserian, so I think I'm gonna try this one soon, if and when I finish it, I'll send it to you.
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...good example of this kind...
Get out your French dictionary, then go look up some of Pierre Ronsard's sonnets. There are hundreds. Then give us your translation of one of them.
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