Input from poets

[ArgScalawag]

Since poetry is such a personal art, this is an almost silly question:

For my English Class, we are supposed to write a sonnet. I have not a clue what to write about. Love is the most common subject for sonnets, but...that's just not me. I'm having trouble thinking of ideas..any suggestions?

[soulrebel51]

if love is not you, what is you then?


ahaha that grammar sounds bad :D i think its correct though :rolleyes:

[TrippinBTM]

nature is also a common sonnet theme

And here's some advice. I'm sure your teacher has taught you about sonnet form, but keep in mind there are many kinds of rhyme schemes you can use (really any rhyme scheme). Basically, it has to have 14 lines, a volta, and a rhyme scheme, done in iambic pentameter (IP). Hopefully you already know what all that is. I'm guessing you learned about Shakespearean and Patrarchian sonnets, right? Those aren't the only ones (http://www.everypoet.org/pffa/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9922), so if you want to impress your teacher (or just throw him/her a curveball), do a different one ;)

As far as writing one, do a blank verse poem first. Just write a bunch of thoughts down, preferably already in IP, but it doesn't have to be. Don't worry about rhyme yet, just write your ideas. Then you go back and put it into the structure of the sonnet, working the rhymes into it, and make sure you have a volta.

[ArgScalawag]

lol, yes I know what all that is. I was going to do a Patrarchian sonnet because it's more general, whereas Shakespearean is more love oriented. Nature is a good idea.

[TrippinBTM]

Really, a sonnet can be about anything. I've seen all sorts of topics in sonnets. It's a poetic form, but not as far as topic goes.

[TomDijon]

soul rebel, you could have said, what is? , then what is? that would have been grammatically correct, but as it is now, it isn't now.

OH, and trippin btm, i really like that picture, but the sky dude's dick is really pointy, eh? reminds me of hearing a story of two kids taking pisses and one seeing that the other isn't circumcised asks why his penis is so pointy ahaha

[Major Peacenik]

sonnets are the most narritive form of poetry. so if you want to just write a story or portray an opinion, sonnets are good for you! sonnets are often humorous as well. they were traditionally used for plays, and aren't usually "deep" in the way that a lot of poetry is.

[TrippinBTM]

Whoa dude, sonnets aren't the most narrative form of poetry. You can write a whole book in the form of a poem, that's true narrative poetry. Sonnets would be EXTREMELY short for a narrative poem.

[make art not war]

if love is not you, what is you then?


ahaha that grammar sounds bad :D i think its correct though :rolleyes:
it's right you just italicized "is" instead of "you"

if love is not you what is you then
^^ probably what you meant to say ^^

[make art not war]

You don't have to do a sonnet about one thing because that's what everybody writes about. You can write on anything, just follow your mood.

If you feel mad,
write an angry poem,
if you feel happy,
write a cheerful poem,
if you feel sad,
write a sad poem, and so on, and so on.