Another sonnet variant… ( As long as it is distinguished from the "standard" sonnet)


"Poetic Form; Caudate Sonnet
    The Sonnet, with so many variations, is probably one of the most famous and well-known poetry forms out there. The term Sonnet comes from and the Italian word "sonetto" and the Occitan word "sonet" which both mean "little song".

    Throughout all it's variations, a Sonnet is generally thought of as;
-A poem written in fourteen lines.
-Follows a strict rhyme scheme.
-Has a specific structure.
-Written in meter(usually iambic pentameter*).
-Often has a Volta.**

*Iambic Pentameter- Ten syllable lines with alternating stresses, beginning on an unstressed syllable, followed by a stressed syllable, than another stressed syllable, etc..and having five stresses total). If x =unstressed and / = stressed, this is what a ten syllable iambic line would generally look like(though variations ending on an unstressed syllable do exist.); x/x/x/x/

**Volta- A Volta is a point in a poetic work where the direction of the poem changes. It could mean a shift in thoughts or the shifting point in a piece where first part of the poem is a question and the second has the answer. Any shift in thought would be considered a Volta. The Volta is most commonly used when talking about Sonnets and often occurs in a specific point in the Sonnet, depending on which Sonnet form is used.

    Now, some would say that the Sonnet Variation I'm going to discuss isn't really a Sonnet because it doesn't contain fourteen lines. However, it is a variation on an the very well-known Italian Sonnet and does contain the Volta and is written in iambic pentameter. Regardless of whether or not you consider the Caudate Sonnet a true Sonnet, it is a very interesting form and as it is one of my favorites, I feel it is very enjoyable to write.

    The creation of the Caudate Sonnet, which is also known as the Caudated Sonnet and the Tailed Sonnet is credited to Francesco Berni. The form is written in iambic pentameter and has a total of twenty lines, with a Volta at line eight. It actually begins with the complete Italian Sonnet, followed by a Coda***, a Heroic Couplet****, another Coda, and finally a Heroic Couplet.

***Coda- The term "Coda" is from the Latin term "cauda", which means "tail". It generally occurs near the end of a piece and is shorter than the other lines in that work. In the case of the Caudate Sonnet; the Coda is a line written in three metric feet. Since the poem is written in iambic pentameter, one metrical foot is two syllables, an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable; x/. So, each Coda in the Caudate Sonnet is a line written in iambic trimeter, which gives it a total of six syllables. The stresses generally look like this; x/x/x/.

****Heroic Couplet- A Heroic Couplet is a two line, rhyming stanza written in Iambic Pentameter, where each line always has a masculine ending(ends on a stressed syllable). Using the variation on iambic structure to allow you to end on an unstressed syllable is NOT an option in a Heroic Couplet."


From AllPoetry.com