The First Sonnet Sequence in English: 

Anne Locke’s “A Meditation of a Penitent Sinner”

It makes perverted sense that first of all

This sonnet sequence is a set of pleas

Pathetic as confession in a crawl

Up Roman steps, the grovelling done on knees

And in each sicko mind.  A poem form

So often later used about desires

And unrequited love becomes the corm

For thousands of the poets’ flowering fires

Forever being doused but not put out.

It’s sad, though (ain’t it?), that the very first

Such sequence is a long religious pout

About the love of God — the very worst.

  At least a psalm of David came from real

    Hot passion.  You can almost hear sex squeal.

~ Phillip Whidden