... lines ten syllables long, with accents falling on every second syllable, as in: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"" (Spark Notes, Shakespeare). It is one of the most formal poetic devices and usually has an intricate rhyming scheme. Sonnets typically state a problem, explore implications, and then resolve the dilemma. "In Elizabethan England--the era during which Shakespeare's sonnets were written--the ... 130 mocks the typical Petrarchan metaphors by presenting a speaker who seems to take them at face value, and somewhat bemusedly, decides to tell the truth" (Spark Notes, Shakes...

• Word Count: 2289
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School