The sonnet, a lyric poem of medium length, is popularized and perfected by English poets of different periods like Shakespeare, Keats, Shelley and Elizabeth Barret Browning. The innovations made by these poets are thematic as well as technical. This article attempts to examine the significant contributions made by these poets with particular reference to introduction of the dramatic aspect of the persona and the adaptations and modifications of the format made to suit a less rhythmic language like English , and creation of new spaces for the profound psychological and reflexive aspects of the theme. Keywords: Innovations, thematic, technical persona, Psychological reflexive