Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-06-16
SONNETS.

There is disposition in certain small critics
to dIsparage the sonnet, as among the mere tri-
files, that dificiles nupC, of literature: the noun
sonneteer is always used in bad sense, Tho
sonnet, it is true, is little thing il cannot ex.
tend beyond fourteen lines; it cannot describe
a scene, unfold plot, or give an argument in
verse; Yet within the scant pjnfold what won.
ders have not been wrought
Provencal in i,s origin, the sonnet received
its first glories in Italy. under Petrarch, who
has never had even second in his art. Like
the violin, it was played upon for ages before iis
secret was found out. Some readers think four
teen lines in decasyllables all that is requisite.
How would an ancient Italian smile at such
simplicity They had canons irnmutable touch.
ing the soneito: as tina. il should fall into two IN.
equal lobies, one of two q,sqdernari, or ouatrans,
the other Of two triple,s; then there was the
twofold arrangement of the endngs, close rhyme
rima chiusn, are alternate rhyme. A certain
echo or answcrableness was demanded not on.
" between the Grand moieties, but between
qna arin and uuatarin, ,riplct and trp,et; and
this in consistency with the sacred, Fundamental
rule tina, the sonnet should have one prncps!
thought.
! The ancien, Greek epicran contains the germ
of the sonnet. Both are highly wrought, seri.
GUS even funeral. The least approach TO epi.
grammatc point is de ath to the sonnet. The
same is true of the genuine classic epgram.--
II, betrayed by the name, any one go to the An
| thoogy for tests, he seeks fun in cemetery
| Il was the wit of Giusto de Cont which was his
snare The S,ueu; poI,t,r,u;c; ,,oro hurlas
onos Tho oyo,';s., u.ni,o.;o - po,....h
! fue'' nc cNi"ta"c Plouue'o"s VI reua.cn
are SO many eihoameu slghs--passon petrliico
and mmortallzed.
He who reads great sonnet hastily, and Laws
| it down. has not understood IT, Small though
il ho !, i; nron;or. ~. 1.;.' E.
",'io1 20 a.. a"'lque ee''' no' !" 10
s'uu'eu at siance an intagilo, 10 De helo De-
tween delicate myers, to catch various lights
er!s!ai, at "h'cl you no merely LOOK ous
H. H'.n nc" views vi every "e" vis".
"o'o u '.it III sehu'''c sonnet winch ProhPts
w ,lcu"a''o" ere you are aware you nave IL
W near'' ana DIS cauence comes chithln9 IN "hen
you gro" u.o"sy' NO man laughs over son,
ne'. us elegance is not sparkle out the colo
sonnet as ft IN be ont into rr,rhI.
VorJ,u.au,L r. ,,:,. -
' .i' o'.' ''as "''ten '"d.y sot'e's' Gnu
a'iiong then lew when are OF the hrst order,
but his tendency is to dtfuseness and languor.
His solemn dignity and ion from concetti,
are favourohle hut thop tho dorsoposs ,rd ,ha
music arc want;nr po.,arch h;,nsa,t oo,iS
Wv "u'''''s'-ie a''i h''i'seh eou'o
not nave written regular series OF sonnets
without yawnng yet he might have owned that
on Westminster Bridge and that, % Friend, I
know not which wav mus, look, Jotuo cow
ono NOT a. tho hos; hn, r,,s, o,.;.,o '0r'
scor, ~, tho s,,,o, r.;,;, Le,
Mindless of It's lust honours. with hi, Kew
Shakespeare unlocked his heart; the melody
OF tn S small Lutte gave ease to Pe,rarchs wound:
1 a thousand tunes TINS rlpe dLd Tasso sound