The Shakespearean sonnet, also known as the English sonnet, typically follows a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.

Billy Collins is a contemporary poet known for his humorous and accessible sonnets.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning's sonnet "How Do I Love Thee?" is a celebration of the power and depth of love.

Essex Hemphill's sonnet sequence "Ceremonies" addresses the AIDS crisis and its impact on the Black gay community.

The volta, or turn, in a sonnet is a shift in tone, mood, or perspective that introduces a new theme or idea.

Adrienne Rich's sonnet sequence "Diving into the Wreck" explores the complex and often contradictory experiences of motherhood.

John Donne's sonnet "Death, be not proud" confronts the inevitability of death and argues that it is not something to be feared.

Audre Lorde's sonnet sequence "The Cancer Journals" documents her experience with breast cancer and her reflections on illness, mortality, and the power of language.

The Spenserian sonnet, named after the poet Edmund Spenser, follows a rhyme scheme of ABAB BCBC CDCD EE.

Junot Díaz's sonnet sequence "Drown" explores the experiences of Dominican immigrants in the United States.

William Wordsworth's sonnet "The World Is Too Much with Us" laments the negative impact of industrialization on the natural world and human society.

Yusef Komunyakaa's sonnet sequence "Neon Vernacular" explores the experiences of African American soldiers during the Vietnam War.

Edna St. Vincent Millay's sonnet "I Shall Go Back Again to the Bleak Shore" expresses the pain and grief of losing a loved one.

Essex Hemphill's sonnet sequence "Ceremonies" addresses the AIDS crisis and its impact on the Black gay community.

Robert Frost's sonnet "The Road Not Taken" explores the power of choice and the consequences of the choices we make.