Sonnet in Stitches: – Patchwork Variations of Modern Religious Sonnets in English

Sławomir Wącior

doi:10.18290/rh237111.8

Published : 2023-12-29

Vol. 71 No. 11 (2023)

Sonnet in Stitches: – Patchwork Variations of Modern Religious Sonnets in English

Sławomir Wącior

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5320-3299

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18290/rh237111.8

Abstract

Across time and geography, the sonnet has served as a vehicle for poets to explore a diverse range of subjects, from personal love and loss, to political and social issues, and to meditate on the human condition itself. This paper will explore the patchwork variations of some modern religious sonnets in English, examining how contemporary poets are using the sonnet form to explore faith, doubt, and spirituality in new and innovative ways. Through an analysis of several representative works, we will demonstrate how these poets are breathing new life into this versatile form, creating works that are both timeless and timely. While many contemporary sonnets depart from the traditional structure of rhyme and meter, they still adhere to a set of self-imposed rules and limitations. This allows poets to experiment with new forms of expression and to explore religious themes in a more relatable and accessible way. Humour, colloquialism, and self-irony are all common features of contemporary religious sonnets, which often depict the sacred in the context of everyday life. Contemporary sonnets attempt to convey the ineffable mystery of religious experience through language, but they are more self-aware of their own structure and the ways in which they depart from tradition. This systematic deconstruction is a significant element of the contemporary sonnet, reflecting the fragmented and chaotic nature of modern existence.

Keywords:

sonnet, religion and poetry, modern Anglophone poetry

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