rhymeless 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 forgoes end-rhyme but preserves traditional meter (often iambic pentameter) and the fourteen-line structure.

Detailed Definition
Rhymeless sonnet is a fourteen-line poem adhering to traditional sonnet structure—such as iambic pentameter and volta—but deliberately omitting end rhyme to achieve a more modern, conversational, or introspective tone; this form, used by poets like Robert Frost, retains formal discipline while embracing free-verse sensibilities.
Example
Example in poetry:
A sonnet that strictly adheres to the 14-line structure, meter (usually iambic pentameter), and volta (turn) but deliberately omits end-rhyme; for example, a Shakespearean sonnet written entirely in blank verse.; A sequence of 14 lines in an octave/sestet structure with a clear metrical pattern, but without any discernible rhyme scheme (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG becomes AAAA BBBB CCCC DD).; A poem that takes on the form and tone of a traditional sonnet, but the choice to use free verse (no meter or rhyme) makes it a rhymeless sonnet.; A loose Petrarchan sonnet that uses an ABCA DEFA GHI JKL MN pattern (no repetition of end sounds).
Additional Notes
Rhymeless sonnet is a sonnet (14 lines) that adheres to the strict meter, typically iambic pentameter, and structural rules of a traditional sonnet form (like the Petrarchan or Shakespearean), but intentionally omits end rhyme; a form of blank verse applied to the sonnet.
Also Known As
Blank sonnet unrhymed sonnet rhymeless fourteen-liner
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