The Elizabethan, or Shakespearean, sonnet was an extremely popular style of poetry in mid to late 16th century England. It is a variant of the older 14th century Italian, or Petrarchan, sonnet.

Sonnets are highly structured to be a challenge and to show wit and verbal skill. They are meant to be read aloud, so the sounds of the words serve an integral part.  To this end alliteration, assonance, parallelism, and other forms of word play are often used.

Themes widely varied, but typically dealt with the glories and trials of love, beauty, and everyday observations.