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Mock sonnet

Form
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A sonnet that parodies or subverts traditional sonnet conventions through tone, content, or structure

Detailed Definition
A mock sonnet parodies or subverts the traditional sonnet form—its structure, themes, or conventions—to critique romantic idealism, gender norms, or poetic pretension; using exaggerated diction, ironic volta, or disrupted meter, it exposes the gap between sonneteering conventions and lived reality, as in satirical works by Wendy Cope or Paul Muldoon.
Example
Example in poetry:
Billy Collins’s “Sonnet,” parodying the form: “All we need is fourteen lines, well, thirteen now”; Frederick Seidel’s “My Poem,” using sonnet structure for darkly comic effect; Wendy Cope’s “Sonnet,” mocking romantic conventions: “I’m tired of love, I’m tired of plays”; A mock sonnet beginning: “My Wi-Fi’s down, my coffee’s cold, / My inbox mocks me, cruel and bold”
Additional Notes
A mock sonnet parodies the traditional sonnet’s form or themes—using its structure for irony, humor, or critique; maintain formal elements (14 lines, volta) to heighten the subversion.
Also Known As
Parodic Sonnet Ironic Sonnet Satirical Quatorzain Subversive Fourteen-Liner Ironic fourteen-liner Satirical fourteen-liner
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