Sonnet Types Renaissance Poetry
English/Shakespearean Sonnet Types Italian/Petrarchan English/Shakespearean Spenserian
Italian/Petrarchan Sonnet This sonnet type is named after the Italian poet, Francesco Petrarch. Many of his sonnets are about unrequited love, a common topic for sonnets that follow this form.
Italian/Petrarchan Sonnet 14 lines Iambic pentameter Organized into two parts: octave (8) and sestet (6) Rhyme scheme is abba abba cde cde Octave: presents a problem or situation Sestet: problem is resolved or intensified Turn (volta) is usually at line 9 A volta is a shift in focus or thought (the switch from problem to resolution)
English/Shakespearean Sonnet Shakespeare was the master of this sonnet form. The English form allows for a more detailed development of the question or problem with a quick summary and solution attached to the end.
English/Shakespearean Sonnet 14 lines Iambic pentameter Organized into three quatrains (4 lines) and a couplet (2 lines) Rhyme scheme is abab cdcd efef gg Volta (turn) is usually at line 9 or 13
Spenserian Sonnet Created by Edmund Spenser Similar to Shakespeare’s version Interlocking rhyme scheme is the only difference Final couplet is used to make a key point or comment
Spenserian Sonnet 14 lines Iambic pentameter Organized into three quatrains (4 lines) and a couplet (2 lines) Rhyme scheme is abab bcbc cdcd ee **Notice how the rhyme is interlocking**