The English Sonnet Form in the Xvith – Xviith Centuries (Canons and Modifications)

Abstract

THE ENGLISH SONNET FORM IN THE XVI th -XVII th CENTURIES (CANONS AND MODIFICATIONS)Summary. The first part of the work is devoted to the language peculiarities of the sonnets, in England of the XVI -XVII centuries. Vocabulary, orthography, pronunciation and grammar were analyzed in detail. Much attention is given to the comparison of the EME forms with the modern ones. The second part of the work is devoted to the architectonic models of English sonnets of the XVI th -XVII th centuries, which were developed by Wyatt, Surrey and Spenser. The peculiarities of rhyming and the main metric -rhythmic configurations of lines are considered thoroughly. The ways of adapting the Petrarchist models of verse to the peculiarities of the English language were also singled out and described.The system of images of the English sonnets is in the focus of the third part of the chapter. The traditional images of Petrarch and his followers are compared to those modified by famous English sonneteers, including Shakespeare. The influence of Neoplatonism and Protestantism on the work of E. Spenser is analysed in detail.