Wordsworth’s Early Sonnet: A Study in Form

In spite of the greatness of Wordsworth's Early Sonnets sonnets, they have not received adequate critical treatment as far as their different forms are concerned. Therefore, this study is an attempt to identify the formal varieties of Wordsworth's early sonnets so that it can answer two main questions: (1) How far does Wordsworth depart from (or conform to) the traditional sonnet forms? (2) Does he introduce any innovations, which represent a contribution to the form of the sonnet? This study is divided into an introduction, three chapters, and a conclusion. The introduction presents the motivation, objectives and method of the thesis. The first chapter gives a brief survey of the origin and development of the sonnet form. The second chapter provides an analysis of Wordsworth’s traditional sonnet forms. By the word traditional the researcher means the sonnets in which Wordsworth follows the traditional Petrarchan rule of dividing the sonnet into an octave and a sestet, between which there is a volta. The third chapter deals with the varieties of the sonnet form, which Wordsworth introduces in his early sonnets. The conclusion presents the overall results of the study.