An Inquiry into the Lovehood of Love: An Examination

Abstract

The sonnet is not merely defined by its formal structure: by
its fourteen lines of ten syllables each, or by its rhyme scheme. In
fact, a logical structure is also a touchstone of the tradition. Most
sonnets of the traditional ilk begin with a problem and end with a
solution (or, at least, a response). But, what seems to have made
those of the tradition so highly esteem this particular form is the
conceit, or the analogy with which the problem is addressed. How
cleverly one could dress a sonnet in analogy was a major
measurement of poetic worth. This research paper, however, does
not seek to ferret out the merits of the sonneteer's use of any
literary device, but rather serves to accompany a sequence written
by the author with the goal of relaying the general motives behind
each section, which correspond to major eras in sonnet history. In
the sequence, the author exercises the conceit to comment on and
engage the ideology behind it. This is done with the goal of
capturing the evolution of the sonnet in form and idea, while also
creating a unity with an implied commentary on the major
conventions of the tradition itself.