Chapter XXXIX HOW THE SONNET CAME TO ENGLAND

UPON a January day in 1527 two gaily decked barges met upon the Thames.  In the one sat a man of forty.  His fair hair and beard were already touched with gray.  His face was grave and thoughtful, and his eyes gave to it a curious expression, for the right was dull and sightless, while with the left he looked about him sharply.  This was Sir John Russell, gentleman of the Privy Chamber, soldier, ambassador, and favorite of King Henry VIII.  Fighting in the King’s French wars he had lost the sight of his right eye.  Since then he had led a busy life in court and camp, passing through many perilous adventures in the service of his master, and now once again by the King’s commands he was about to set forth for Italy.

As the other barge drew near Russell saw that in it there sat Thomas Wyatt, a young poet and courtier of twenty-three.  He was tall and handsome, and his thick dark hair framed a pale, clever face which now looked listless.  But as his dreamy poet’s eyes met those of Sir John they lighted up.  The two men greeted each other familiarly.  “Whither away,” cried Wyatt, for he saw that Russell was prepared for a journey.

“To Italy, sent by the King.”

To Italy, the land of Poetry!  The idea fired the poet’s soul.

“And I,” at once he answered, “will, if you please, ask leave, get money, and go with you.”

“No man more welcome,” answered the ambassador, and so it was settled between them.  The money and the leave were both forthcoming, and Thomas Wyatt passed to Italy.  This chance meeting and this visit to Italy are of importance to our literature, because they led to a new kind of poem being written in English.  This was the Sonnet.

The Sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines, and is perhaps the most difficult kind of poem to write.  It is divided into two parts.  The first part has eight lines and ought only to have two rimes.  That is, supposing we take words riming with love and king for our rimes, four lines must rime with love and four with king.  The rimes, too, must come in a certain order.  The first, fourth, fifth and eighth lines must rime, and the second, third, sixth, and seventh.  This first part is called the octave, from the Latin word octo, eight.  The second part contains six lines, and is therefore called the sextet, from the Latin word sex, meaning six.  The sextet may have either two or three rimes, and these may be arranged in almost any order.  But a correct sonnet ought not to end with a couplet, that is two riming lines.  However, very many good writers in English do so end their sonnets.