Sonnet 1, by William Shakespeare
A Sonnet (sonetto in Italian) is a type of poem. It is 14 lines long and is written in rhyme.
The sonnet first appeared in Italy during the Middle Ages and was widely used during the Renaissance. The first poet known for his sonnets is Giacomo da Lentini who lived in the 13th century. After him many poets started writing sonnets. Two notable ones are Dante Alighieri and Guido Cavalcanti.
Six Tuscan Poets, among them Francesco Petrarca and Dante Alighieri