Sonnet -
● Generic form of poetry
● 14-lines
● Follow a rhyme scheme
● Follow a strict, set metre (almost always iambic pentametre)
Iambic pentametre - refers to the name of the foot, which is typically made up of a
weaker syllable followed by an accented syllable. Pentametre refers to the number of
feet in a line (in this case, 5).
Ex. → da dum da dum da dum da dum da dum
(da, red, being the weaker syllable, and dum, blue, being the accented syllable)
Subforms of Sonnets -
1. Petrarchan -
● Consists of two parts
● An octave and a sestet
● Follow the ABBA ABBA rhyme scheme for the octave
● Follow the CD CD CD or the CDE CDE rhyme scheme for the sestet
The octave consists of 8 lines, in two quatrains. It is the preposition (problem /
question).
The 9th line of the poem (usually the first line of the sestet, though it can be moved),
marks a shift in the poem. This shift is known as the Volta (resolves the problem in the
preposition)
Not all poems follow the “9th line” structure, but voltas are always present.
2. Shakespearean -
● Variant of the petrarchan sonnet
● Consists of four parts
● Three quatrains and one rhyming couplet
● Follow the ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme
● Volta is usually present in the 3rd quatrain or the rhyming couplet
● Generic form of poetry
● 14-lines
● Follow a rhyme scheme
● Follow a strict, set metre (almost always iambic pentametre)
Iambic pentametre - refers to the name of the foot, which is typically made up of a
weaker syllable followed by an accented syllable. Pentametre refers to the number of
feet in a line (in this case, 5).
Ex. → da dum da dum da dum da dum da dum
(da, red, being the weaker syllable, and dum, blue, being the accented syllable)
Subforms of Sonnets -
1. Petrarchan -
● Consists of two parts
● An octave and a sestet
● Follow the ABBA ABBA rhyme scheme for the octave
● Follow the CD CD CD or the CDE CDE rhyme scheme for the sestet
The octave consists of 8 lines, in two quatrains. It is the preposition (problem /
question).
The 9th line of the poem (usually the first line of the sestet, though it can be moved),
marks a shift in the poem. This shift is known as the Volta (resolves the problem in the
preposition)
Not all poems follow the “9th line” structure, but voltas are always present.
2. Shakespearean -
● Variant of the petrarchan sonnet
● Consists of four parts
● Three quatrains and one rhyming couplet
● Follow the ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme
● Volta is usually present in the 3rd quatrain or the rhyming couplet
