ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -There are many different types of sonnets. The Petrarchan sonnet, perfected by the Italian poet Petrarch, divides the 14 lines into two sections: an eight-line stanza (octave) rhyming ABBAABBA, and a six-line stanza (sestet) rhyming CDCDCD or CDECDE.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Petrarchan sonnet is characterized by the following core elements: It contains fourteen lines of poetry. The lines are divided into an eight-line subsection (called an octave) followed by a six-line subsection (called a sestet). The octave follows a rhyme scheme of ABBA ABBA.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Petrarchan sonnet characteristically treats its theme in two parts. The first eight lines, the octave, state a problem, ask a question, or express an emotional tension. The last six lines, the sestet, resolve the problem, answer the question, or relieve the tension.

Detailed explanation-4: -Shakespearean sonnets Shakespeare’s sonnets are composed of 14 lines, and most are divided into three quatrains and a final, concluding couplet, rhyming abab cdcd efef gg. This sonnet form and rhyme scheme is known as the ‘English’ sonnet.