Sonnets

Shakespearean Sonnets (English Sonnets)

• Length: 14 lines

• Meter: iambic pentameter

• Structure: 3 quatrains (4 lines each) and one couplet (last 2 lines).
  (A rhyming couplet in iambic pentameter is known as a heroic couplet.)

• Rhyme Scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

• Shift: between the last quatrain and the couplet

• Meaning: The 3 quatrains set up a problem, usually offering 3 ways of looking at the same problem. The couplet offers a solution, conclusion, or new perspective.

Petrarchan Sonnets (Italian Sonnets)

• Length: 14 lines

• Meter: iambic pentameter

• Structure: an octave (8 lines) and a sestet (6 lines)

• Rhyme Scheme: ABBA ABBA in the octave and a mix of C's, D's, and E's in the sestet (most commonly CDE CDE or CD CD CD)

• Shift: between the octave and the sestet (also called a volta)

• Meaning: The octave sets up a problem, often introducing it in the first quatrain and developing it in the second. The sestet offers a solution, conclusion, or new perspective.