Expert: Carol - 5/20/2004

Question
hi carol,
i am trying to write a sonnet of my own and i am having some trouble with the unrhymed, rhymed thing.  do you think you could tell me if i have the hang of it or not. here is a few lines i have composed.
mother nature slowly brings up the sun
the microscopic beings scurry away
and the rainbow begins to have some fun
the colors beautifully bring the day

Answer
Hi Hannah,
The rhymed and unrhymed parts are the hardest for all poets.
Here are some suggestions:
As you already know the iambic pentameter using a sonnet form can be 8 lines followed by six lines. However, there are many varieties. As long as you follow one of these you'll be OK.
Each line must have 10 syllables. All of your lines are Ok except for "the microscopic..." I think it has eleven, so leave off the word "the".
The usual 8 line part is "abbaabba" followed by "cddc ee".
Or the six lines van be "cdcdcd or cdecde or
abab bcbc cdcd ee". This last one looks like yours.
When you get stuck with an extra syllable or it is unaccented just change one word at a time until you find the right one. For example, "microscopic beings scurry away".
Sometimes it is better to keep your heart and mind on what it is you want to say and then go back over the whole poem and change it into a sonnet. Best Wishes.