Sonnets

• Shakespearean sonnet has a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
• Petrarchan Sonnet has a rhyme scheme of ABBA ABBA(octave) CDECDE or CDCDCD(sestet)
• The Petrarchan sonnet is also known as the Italian sonnet.
• In a Shakespearean sonnet, the first twelve lines are used to present an argument or idea, while the final two lines offer a conclusion or resolution.
• A Shakespearean sonnet consists of three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and one concluding couplet (two lines).
• Sonnets were written during the Renaissance period when people believed that love was a powerful force that could change lives.
• In a Petrarchan sonnet, there are two parts to it - an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines). The first eight lines describe the problem while the last six lines offer a solution.
• Sonnets have a strict structure with specific rules regarding meter, rhyme, and line length.
• The Shakespearean sonnet is named after William Shakespeare who popularized this form of poetry.
• Spenserian sonnet has a rhyme scheme of ABAB BCBC CDCD EE