Sonnet 51 of the third ictus (resulting in a four-position figure, codice_1, sometimes referred to as a "minor ionic"). There are seven possible initial reversals in this sonnet (in lines one, four, five, seven, eight, thirteen, and fourteen), three possible mid-line reversals (in lines three, eleven, and twelve) and two possible "minor ionics" (moving the first ictus of line two, and the third ictus of line five). This metrical agitation contrasts with the plodding regularity of Sonnet 50. Sonnet 51 Sonnet 51 is one of 154 sonnets written by the English playwright and poet William Shakespeare. It is part of the Fair
Poetry calligraphy. These basic units of poetic form are often combined into larger structures, called "poetic forms" or poetic modes (see following section), as in the sonnet or haiku. Poetry is often separated into lines on a page. These lines may be based on the number of metrical feet, or may emphasize a rhyming pattern at the ends of lines. Lines may serve other functions, particularly where the poem is not written in a formal metrical pattern. Lines can separate, compare or contrast thoughts expressed in different units, or can highlight a change in tone. See the article on line breaks