A Sonnet, literally translated as “little song”, is a lyrical style of poetry that follows very specific patterns. As a rule, it contains 14 lines and is written in iambic pentameter, or five groups of iambs. There are several different the fourteen lines are separated into two parts. The first portion of the sonnet contains eight lines that are called an octave. The second portion has six lines with a different rhyming scheme called a sestet . The changes in rhyme scheme also indicate a change in ideas or parts. It could be said that the first eight lines introduce a topic, while the last six lines explain, answer, or may seem to contradict the first portion of the sonnet. This is called a volta or literally a “turn” in ideas.

Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) was a Victorian era poet who is known for her devotional writing and children’s poetry. She began writing at age 7 and published her first poem at age 18. She poured her feelings out into her poetry and explored religion and spirituality. She battled illness much of her life, including a mental breakdown in her early years and later, she was diagnosed with Graves’ disease which left her homebound, and then finally, she succumbed to cancer at 64.

Lets look at the structure of her sonnet “Sonnets are full of love” that was inspired by her love for her mother:

Sonnets are full of love, and this my tome (a)
Has many sonnets: so here now shall be (b)
One sonnet more, a love sonnet, from me (b)
To her whose heart is my heart’s quiet home, (a)
To my first Love, my Mother, on whose knee (a)
I learnt love-lore that is not troublesome; (b)
Whose service is my special dignity, (a)
And she my loadstar while I go and come (b)
And so because you love me, and because (c)
I love you, Mother, I have woven a wreath (d)
Of rhymes wherewith to crown your honored name: (e)
In you not fourscore years can dim the flame (e)
Of love, whose blessed glow transcends the laws (c)
Of time and change and mortal life and death. (d)

If we look at her sonnet structure, she clearly uses the 14 lines. When you read her poem out loud, each line has the daDUM daDUM daDUM daDUM daDUM iambic pentameter rhythm. Notice the rhyme pattern. The first 8 lines engage the abba/abab rhyme pattern. In the sestet portion of the poem, she uses a CDEECD pattern. In sonnets, this last six lines make use of three distinct rhymes that may vary in placement (IE: CDE/CDE). Using the accepted Italian sonnet form, Christina changes rhyme with her turn of ideas between lines 8 and 9. She does this by introducing her inspiration first, that sonnets are “full of love”. She leads the reader through her reasons for devoting a love filled sonnet to her mother- her first love. At the volta of the sonnet, she changes tones. Rather than speaking to the reader, she then directs the sonnet directly to her mother, telling her that the sonnet was written to honor her in a way that time will not erase, through a wreath of rhyme; A sonnet full of love.