Not every Shakespearean sonnet lets the form control the meaning in this way, but many do.įor example, in Sonnet 13, the first 12 lines are making ordinary and even unfavorable comparisons about the beauty of the speaker’s mistress. Then in the final couplet, the true meaning of the poem is revealed. The three quatrains that make up the first 12 lines explore a common theme. In many cases, the Shakespearean sonnet form also affects the content of a poem.
