Structure and Contradictions "On the Sonnet"

The very first line of this poem stands out to me as it reminds me of my experience with writing a sonnet for our parody assignment. I suppose in that case I was confined to not only writing in the rigid structure of iambic pentameter, but also creating an original poem that mimics/imitates another. Nevertheless, I can relate with how limited it feels to write poetry with such a specific rhyme scheme and meter. It almost feels like mapping out a mathematical equation rather than expressing a natural flow of thoughts. This whole notion, I think, is what the first line of “On the Sonnet” asserts. It interests me that this poem begins with a reference to itself, or the practice of poetry in general, and how the process of forcing and skewing our words into perfect formulas is “dull” and chains us down (1). The unconventional rhyme scheme of this sonnet (ABC ABD CABCDE DE) certainly supports this point, as there aren’t repetitive rhyming patterns like those in classic Petrarchan and Shakespearean sonnets. Despite this, Keats ironically structures this poem in iambic pentameter and uses the traditional 14-line form.

Keats makes himself a “miser of sound and syllable” (10) while maintaining a loose rhyme scheme to further emphasize his idea that sonnets AND poets can benefit from being pushed further - that is, the traditional, restrictive sonnet structure should be tested, reformed, played around with, etc. By writing this poem the way it is, he himself “inspect[s] the lyre” (7). He speaks to readers/writers of sonnets as he molds his ideas into a sonnet structure and uses that as a platform to call attention to its nonconformities in both the message and the rhyme scheme.

So yeah, I think this is pretty clever of him - I love how meta this poem is when you delve into it.