Now you’ve got a good answer to the question “what is a sonnet?” Want to dig into other poem structures beyond sonnets? We’ve compiled a list of great types of poems, all while situating them in the long arc of poetic history, something which is important knowledge if you’re a poet or just a writer in general. So while the sonnet might not be the most in-vogue artform or even poem today, knowing the sonnet definition can teach us a lot about how to tell our own stories that feel cohesive and purposeful. Using structures, whether it be a sonnet or a three-act narrative, can force you to be a more disciplined and creative writer.
Approaching a blank page with nothing but some vague ideas can be daunting. The rules of a sonnet are a testament to imposing rules on yourself to stretch your creativity. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get how to write a sonnet right away like becoming a great athlete, becoming a strong poet takes time, patience, and a ton of practice.
But sonnets, with their elaborate rhyme schemes and strict use of iambic pentameter, require a lot of skill and effort. Reading great sonnet examples is like watching a great athlete in action: it looks easy. A sonnet is a short lyric poem that consists of 14 lines, typically written in iambic pentameter (a 10-syllable pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables) and following a specific rhyme scheme (of which there are several we’ll go over this point more in just a moment).
