John Milton invented a sonnet form that utilised the original Petrarchan rhyme scheme but did not feature the traditional break between the octave and the sestet - hence giving his sonnet a more unified feel e.g. "On His Blindness."

*After Milton the use of the sonnet declined until the end of the 18th century when it was picked up again by the likes of Thomas Gray (see On the Death of Richard West). The sonnet re-established itself with the romantic poets - see "Ozymandias" by Shelley and "Upon Westminster Bridge" by Wordsworth. Since then the sonnet has continued to be a popular form. W.H.Auden was a regular sonneteer —"The Quest and Sonnets from China."