Kate Skozinski
In 1327 Francis Petrarch saw Laura in Avignon, fell in love with her, and began writing sonnets. Petrarch is credited with "cleaning up" the sonnet and setting rules for its form. A Petrarchian sonnet is divided into two parts. The first part is the octet and consists of eight lines that set up a problem. The second part is called the sestet and consists of six lines which offer a resolution. The rhyme scheme for the sonnet is: abba abba for the octet and cde cde for the sestet. Italians first began writing sonnets sometime in the 13th century. The word "sonnet" comes from the Italian word "sonetto" meaning little sound. Sonnets were originally recited to a musical accompaniment. Petrarch wrote his sonnets between 1327 and 1374 with themes of unrequited passion and idealized love. Rome declared him poet laureate in 1341. The English adapted and modified the Petrarchian sonnet in the 16th century. What came to be known as the Shakespearian sonnet was actually developed by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey.
For more information and to read some sonnets visit: Sonnets.org and Petrarch's Sonnets
Virtual Poet, a program created by an anonymous, crazed, unemployed former English major, appeared online this year. Free for the downloading, the program creates poems based on user input. Many a desperate teenager has told VP his/her potential significant other's name, physical characteristics, and a few desired adjectives and Virtual Poet has created Shakespearian quality sonnets on demand. Skilled in other forms of poetry, Virtual Poet's work has been known to appear at funerals in the form of eloquent eulogies and at lifetime achievement award ceremonies in the form of epic poems. The literary world condems Virtual Poet as killing individual creativity and encouraging plagiarism.