Perhaps there is no other poetic form in the English language that carries with it the mystique and allure of the sonnet. Revived in the 14th century by the Italian poet Petrarch, the sonnet was popularized in English by Renaissance writers like William Shakespeare and Edmund Spenser. The sonnet, with its strict meter, rhyme scheme, and thematic structure, is a challenging but rewarding form, which is probably why it continues to appeal to poets centuries after its revival.