To You, My Sonnet

My love, I know not what a sonnet is.
Is it a verse in groups of twelve and two?
Or octave, sestet, turn or volta too?
Has it no foot or syllable amiss?
And is it blessed by this; a metric kiss?
Should it be written by a heart that's true?
Or by the mind and all its wondrous hues?
Or is it something bridging all of this?

Thou art a perfect sonnet dreamt, my love;
Thou art more lovely than a summer's day.
Thou canst in me a skilful rhythm impart,
And drench my soul with fragrance from above.
You're written by the essence of today,
To live tomorrow, etched upon my heart.

Author's Note

This is my first ever sonnet, and I've chosen an Italian sonnet scheme just to make things a bit exotic! Pardon me the Shakespeare reference. I just HAD to include that one. Iambic pentameter, by the way.

Reviews

[RDOriginal]

This is a very impressive piece for a first sonnet with an interesting subject and a delicate dose of quirky self-referencing.

Choosing to write a sonnet about writing a sonnet makes this very refreshing. I don't think I've ever read a sonnet that hasn't been about love or being in love or some attribute of love so this was a first for me as a reader. I like the way you reference the research you've clearly had to do in order to produce this poem, it's clear you've read plenty about the structure and expectations people have. Trotting them all out in verse just makes me more aware of how complex structured poetry can actually be with a language all of its own, 'Or octave, sestet, turn or volta too'. It's no wonder so many of us stumble when writing one (and in my case it got left at one piece which is so ghastly it's never leaving my hard drive!)

I think the oblique reference to Shakespeare works very well. Even laymen associate the bard with the sonnet so in a sonnet about sonnets how can you possibly ignore him? As you've chosen perhaps his most famous line in 'Thou art more lovely than a summer's day' you're probably doing what so many writers have done when looking for inspiration and read that line and thought, 'Why am I finding writing so hard? Look how simple this is and it just works!'. I'm sure there are many poets on this site who've experienced that frustration.

I enjoyed reading this. I'll leave it to the experts on metre and form to cast judgement on whether it measures up to the structure police's exacting standards but I liked it.

[Fran Marie]

This is a great first sonnet, Petrarchan/Italian sonnets are not the easiest for a first attempt at the sonnet form but you pull it off rather nicely ....the only thing I would change is to connect the two shakespear's reference lines in the middle to form your solid sestet~ an Italian sonnet is written as a two section form and has the turn/volta in the ninth line to change its tone~ it would read better.. imo ~ love the content of this beautifully penned sonnet indeed, a lovely piece to be sure....Kudos

[Alessander]

Ya, you chose the harder Italian scheme to break your Sonnet cherry, so kudos to you. A Sonnet addressing a Sonnet, how poetic lol For the most part, this flowed effortlessly, which is the first thing I judge of a sonnet, so kudos there. However, in some places, it did seem to break down or get awkward for various reason from not true iambic (which is not too bad when the rest is pretty iambic, just something to think about) to awkward syntax. "And is it blessed so by a metric kiss" is really stretching the iambic meter., even though I really like "metric kiss". "Drench my soul with fragrance from above" I thought was a little over the top, even for a sonnet lol other than that, it was solid. Really like the last two lines, it closed it almost like an English Sonnet.

[Adelia Alighieri]

It's a great attempt. I don't really like sonnets, lol, never wrote one but this is really good. I like the Shakespeare reference too. For every first sonnet, I believe history has to be included. Well written, good job. :)

[NoneOfYourBusiness akaK..]

absolutely beautiful play with the form~

[deeps]

This is wonderful, i enjoyed this.

[ScarlettTheDreamer]

Good. I think the Shakespeare reference was smart, and it fit well. Beautiful.

[Richard Williams]

Quite impressive for a first sonnet, great flow and phrasing, beautiful and touching. I like the scheme chosen.

[Ruth]

Well this is a great first sonnet love!
Impressive :)
I adore the scanning here, the potency!
Wonderful Abdul, truly beautifully written!
xx

[Dinesh Sairam]

I loved the description.. I've always wanted a Sonnet on sonnets (Or Ode to odes, lol). You never err in meter, I can guarantee that! The meter is so perfect and lucid, I don't seem to find any flaws whatsoever. But I find the Shakespearean reference bit disturbing (Maybe because Shakespeare compared a woman and you compare a sonnet). I'm not sure why, but I suggest you replace it with something else. Otherwise, a first and awesome sonnet from you :) Welcome to the club mate :)