Shakespearean sonnet

noun

1. a sonnet form used by Shakespeare and having the rhyme scheme abab, cdcd, efef, gg.

Shakespearean sonnet

noun

1. a sonnet form developed in 16th-century England and employed by Shakespeare, having the rhyme scheme a b a b c d c d e f e f g g Also calledElizabethan sonnetEnglish sonnet

Word History and Origins

Origin of Shakespearean sonnet¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Carpenter then purposefully make fun of the outrageousness of her desire for her partner, when she busts out a line from what feels like a Shakespearean sonnet, “Where art thou? Why not uponeth me?”

From Salon

Dame Judi read a Shakespearean sonnet, while the other performers included Gary Oldman and Robert Lindsay.

From BBC

Bard did get a little gooey at one point when asked to write a Shakespearean sonnet and responded seductively in one of the three drafts that it quickly created.

From Washington Times

In less than a minute, the program had created in full a rhyming Shakespearean sonnet.

From Washington Post

One parent who supported Mr. Johnson confronted another who did not: “Are you fluent in Latin? What is your favorite Shakespearean sonnet? Who is your favorite Pre-Raphaelite artist?”

From New York Times