So This is a Sonnet

Concerning Sonneting by Gideon Burton:

          To find a form sustaining me enough
          to hold, to hold unweathered over time,
          an instrument both sonorous and tough,
          with sturdy words shaped smooth by ending rhymes.
          Not every patterned art nor instrument
          makes time both tow and flow in even turn,
          So many words are brutish implements,
          stutter-pulsed or bruising with their runes.
          And there are books and symphonies whose length
          is little argument, while most haiku
          are pearls so tightly wound their strength
          invisibles itself within their youth.
               I've found a form who forms me line by line;
               she's brief, yet most my thoughts she can refine.


1. When read aloud, this poem is not remarkable as far as sonnets go. It follows the appropriates rhythms and flow of a sonnet. However, I did notice that the word choice is not romantic in a "lovely" sort of way, but almost romantic in an almost "heroic" way.

2. The title bothered me at first, if I'm being honest. Sonneting does not even sound like a real word to me. It's awkward at least in my opinion, and it gave me the expectation that the poem would be very amateurish and silly.

3. By analyzing the syntax (reorganizing and even translating) it was much easier to understand this poem. Honestly, upon first read it seemed to have a very deep meaning, but really there isn't much to the poem but a comparison of sonnets to other forms of poetry. Though it is written with a fair measure of eloquence.

4. For starters, I had to look up "sonneting" just to make sure it was a real word. It is, and I'm still shocked. I also looked up "sonorous" which I had a vague understanding of. Reading the definition clarified what I thought and further supported the tone of the poem.

5. The "who" in this poem is my professor, Gideon Burton, who I have come to know as any student will know their teacher. Because I know the author of the poem, I can study the poem as it would be spoken in their voice, and even to an extent understand it the way that they would explain it. He has already mentioned before in class of his love for sonnets, so it was no surprise to find this poem. However, I enjoyed the way the poem showed an even deeper insight as to his appreciation for sonnets.

6. As far as meaning, I think this poem is just meant to show how meaningful sonnets are as an art form to the writer. It may also serve to be persuasive in attempting to lure readers into appreciating sonnets as well.

7. As a sonnet, the form thrives on enjambment and rhyme. Because the lines follow the rules of a set rhyme scheme, it forces the reader to stop and consider each line despite enjambment. This gives each line a chance to be analyzed as well as each sentence. It also ends with a typical indented couplet. This gives the final lines an extra sense of importance, and effectively sums up what the poem has been trying to say in so many points.

8. It follows the rules of a sonnet almost perfectly. I think following the rules makes it better though; it allows the contents of the poem to shine specifically because the poem is about how perfect the form of a sonnet is for the author.