1. Sonnets
AP English Lit. & Comp.

2. Structure of a Sonnet The sonnet is a very structured form of poetry.
14 lines
Iambic pentameter
Most often, sonnets are “love poems” though the outlook on love can vary greatly.

3. Shakespearean (English) Sonnet
Has three quatrains (stanzas of four lines) followed by a rhymed couplet (stanza of two lines)
Follows the rhyme scheme of abab, cdcd, efef, gg

4. Petrarchan (Italian) Sonnet
Divided into
One octave (eight-line stanza) following rhyme scheme abbaabba
One sestet (six-line stanza) following rhyme scheme cdecde, cdccdc, or cdedce.
Follows the rhyme scheme abbaabba,

5. Spenserian Sonnet
Three “linked” quatrains (abab, bcbc, cdcd) and ends with a rhymed couplet (ee)