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Understanding Sonnet Forms: Petrarchan vs. Shakespearean

A sonnet is a 14-line poem, with Petrarch and Shakespeare being key figures in its development. Petrarchan sonnets consist of an octave and a sestet, while Shakespearean sonnets are structured with three quatrains and a couplet. Both forms utilize iambic pentameter and explore themes of love.

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33 views9 pages

Understanding Sonnet Forms: Petrarchan vs. Shakespearean

A sonnet is a 14-line poem, with Petrarch and Shakespeare being key figures in its development. Petrarchan sonnets consist of an octave and a sestet, while Shakespearean sonnets are structured with three quatrains and a couplet. Both forms utilize iambic pentameter and explore themes of love.

Uploaded by

sfnms2012
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Information

● A sonnet is a poem of 14 lines


● Petrarch (famous 14th century Italian poet) perfected the
sonnet)
● Shakespeare adapted the sonnet in England in the 16th
century
Sonnets are like Riddles
A riddle is something you need to solve.
Usually, the first 8 lines of a sonnet tell you about a situation
and the last 6 lines “answer it.”
What is full of holes but still holds water?
Petrarca (Petrarch)
● Francesco Petrarca, born in 1304 in Arezzo
● Found (rediscovered) antique writings from
ancient Greece
● “Father of Humanism” the cultural/literary
movement called Humanism (Umanesimo)
● Humanism = Man needs to think critically,
dedicate his life to civil, cultural, and
political roles as a good citizen by studying
and reliving the lessons written in ancient
Greek and Latin texts
Petrarchan Sonnet
Characteristics:
● Divided into an octave (8 lines) and a sestet (6 lines)
● The octave presents the story, states an idea, question/problem, or situation
● The sestet comments on the octave, applies the idea, answers the question,
or provides a solution to the problem or clarifies it
● Line 9 is called the volta (the turning point, beginning of the
solution/answer)
● Like a riddle
Petrarchan Sonnet
Rhyme Scheme & Meter
● Octave Rhyme scheme: abbaabba
● Sestet rhyme scheme: cdecde, cdccdc, or cdedce
● Meter: iambic pentameter
Topic:
● Love: Laura
● Go online to find out more about Laura and Petrarca!
William Shakespeare
● Born in England in 1564 and died in
1616
● Playwright and actor
● Wrote plays (tragedies, comedies, and
histories)
● Wrote 154 sonnets
● Considered the best writer of the
English language
● Invented many words we use today
(look online to find out!)
Shakespearean Sonnet
Characteristics:
● Divided into 3 quatrains and 1 couplet
● The couplet usually comments or provides a solution for the previous
quatrains
● The couplet is usually called the volta because it is a change in
tone/attitude/ideas
Shakespearean Sonnet
Rhyme Scheme & Meter
● Each quatrain has its own rhyme scheme
● Quatrain 1 : abab
● Quatrain 2: cdcd
● Quatrain 3: efef
● Couplet: gg
● Meter: iambic pentameter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5lsuyUNu_4
○ Iamb : a foot of unstressed and stressed syllables
○ Pentameter: five
○ Iambic pentameter : 5 iambs or 5 sets of unstressed and stressed.
○ This equals 10 syllables in each line
Shakespearean Sonnets
Topic:
LOVE (the subject is unknown, but there are many theories)

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