The Illiterate

“The Illiterate” is a sonnet written in the Petrarchan style. Traditionally this type of sonnet rhymes ABBAABBA CDECDE, the most common variant, or ABBAABBA CDCDCD. William Meredith’s poem uses the rhyme scheme ABBA CDDC EFGEFG, which is sometimes called the Crybin variant. The first eight lines of the Petrarchan sonnet are called the octave. The first half, or Lines 1-4, present a problem or situation. The speaker’s touch, which makes him feel like the man who is given a missive, is an example. The second four lines of the octave, Lines 5-8, explain the problem and provide some exposition. In “The Illiterate,” this missive is unexpected, and the man is fearful and embarrassed. The next six lines, called the sestet, answer or illuminate the situation presented in the first eight, or offer some resolution. In this case, the speaker reveals the possible contents of the unopened message and highlights why the man, and thus the speaker, hesitates to read it. The traditional Petrarchan sonnet is written in hendecasyllable lines, or lines of 11 syllables. Meredith uses a mixture of 10 and 11 syllables per lines.