William Shakespeare made the sonnet famous, but it originated in Italy in the 13th century. The poet Petrarch perfected the 14-line love poem. The word sonnet comes from sonnetto which is Italian for little song.

Sonnets tend to either follow Petrachan (Italian) or Shakespearean (English) rhyme schemes:

Petrachan:        ABBA ABBA CDE CDE

Sonnet CCXIII [1]

O misery! horror! can it, then, be true,
That the sweet light before its time is spent,
‘Mid all its pains which could my life content,
And ever with fresh hopes of good renew?
If so, why sounds not other channels through,
Nor only from herself, the great event?
No! God and Nature could not thus consent,
And my dark fears are groundless and undue.
Still it delights my heart to hope once more
The welcome sight of that enchanting face,
The glory of our age, and life to me.
But if, to her eternal home to soar,
That heavenly spirit have left her earthly place,
Oh! then not distant may my last day be!

Shakespearean: ABAB CDCD EFEF  GG

Sonnet CVI [2]

When in the chronicle of wasted time
 I see descriptions of the fairest wights,
And beauty making beautiful old rime,
In praise of ladies dead and lovely knights,
Then, in the blazon of sweet beauty’s best,
Of hand, of foot, of lip, of eye, of brow,
I see their antique pen would have express’d
Even such a beauty as you master now.
So all their praises are but prophecies
Of this our time, all you prefiguring;
And for they looked but with divining eyes,
They had not skill enough your worth to sing:
For we, which now behold these present days,
Have eyes to wonder, but lack tongues to praise.

Try it yourself

Petrachan Sonnet:

A

B

B

A

A

B

B

A

C

D

E

C

D

E

Shakespearean Sonnet

A

B

A

B

C

D

C

D

E

F

E

F

G

G

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[1] Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch); Translated by Robert Guthrie Macgregor. This poem is in the public doman

[2] William Shakespeare. This poem is in the public domain.