Sonnet Forms: Shakespearean and Petrarchan Structures

Understanding the sonnet is not just about recognizing fourteen lines of iambic pentameter; it's about learning how a poem's architecture shapes its argument. For the AP Literature student, mastering the distinct blueprints of the Shakespearean and Petrarchan sonnet forms unlocks a deeper level of poetry analysis, revealing how poets use structure to develop, complicate, and resolve complex ideas. The powerful relationship between a poem’s framework and its meaning is central to this analysis.

The Foundation: Meter, Rhyme, and the Volta

Before distinguishing between forms, you must grasp their shared DNA. All sonnets are fourteen lines long and traditionally written in iambic pentameter, a meter consisting of five iambs (an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, as in “to-DAY”). This rhythm creates a dignified, speech-like cadence. The second universal element is the volta (Italian for “turn”). This is a pivotal shift in the poem’s tone, argument, or perspective. While its placement is a key differentiator between forms, its function is constant: it marks a moment of intellectual or emotional transformation. The final core component is the rhyme scheme, which is the primary factor that organizes the poem’s ideas and dictates where the volta occurs.

The Shakespearean (or English) Sonnet: Building an Argument

The Shakespearean sonnet, perfected by William Shakespeare, is structured to develop a layered argument or explore a theme from multiple angles before delivering a powerful, often conclusive, punchline. Its rhyme scheme is divided into three quatrains (four-line units) followed by a final couplet (two-line unit), typically following the pattern abab cdcd efef gg. This structure encourages a three-part development.

Each quatrain typically introduces a new facet of the poem’s central idea. For example, a poet might use the first quatrain to pose a question, the second to elaborate with an analogy, and the third to introduce a complication or contradiction. The volta most often arrives at the start of the concluding couplet. This couplet does not merely summarize; it provides a resolution, a reversal, or a sharp epiphany that recontextualizes everything that came before. The couplet’s finality is underscored by its self-contained gg rhyme, which delivers a sense of closure.

Consider Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 (“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”). The first quatrain introduces the comparison to summer, the second explains summer’s flaws, and the third shifts to the beloved’s eternal beauty. The volta arrives with the couplet: “So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, / So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.” The argument’s focus turns from describing the beloved to declaring the poem’s own power to immortalize, providing a brilliant and conclusive twist.

The Petrarchan (or Italian) Sonnet: Presenting and Resolving a Problem

The Petrarchan sonnet, named for the Italian poet Francesco Petrarca, follows a more binary structure that mirrors a problem-solution or tension-resolution model. It is divided into an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines). The octave typically presents a situation, describes a problem, poses a question, or expresses emotional tension. Its traditional rhyme scheme is abbaabba, a tight, interlocking pattern that reinforces a unified idea.

The major volta occurs decisively between the eighth and ninth lines, marking the transition from the octave to the sestet. The sestet then responds to, reflects upon, or resolves the issue set up in the octave. Its rhyme scheme is more flexible (common patterns include cdecde, cdcdcd, or cdccdc), which mirrors the opening up of new perspectives or solutions. This structure creates a powerful sense of “before” and “after,” making it ideal for poems exploring intellectual dilemmas, spiritual crises, or sudden realizations.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnets from the Portuguese 43 (“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.”) employs this form masterfully. The octave lists the spiritual and soulful dimensions of her love. At the volta, the sestet shifts to love’s temporal and mortal aspects: “I love thee with a love I seemed to lose / With my lost saints.” The structure guides the reader from abstract, infinite love to a more personal, grounded, and passionate declaration.

Subverting Conventions for Effect

Expert poets often manipulate these traditional forms to create specific effects, and your analysis should note these deliberate choices. A poet might use a Shakespearean structure but delay the volta until the middle of the couplet, creating suspense. Another might write a Petrarchan sonnet with an unusually harsh or discordant rhyme in the sestet to underscore emotional turmoil. Modern sonnets frequently subvert iambic pentameter or use slant rhyme (near-rhyme) to challenge the form’s classical associations while still engaging in a dialogue with its history. Recognizing when a poet adheres to convention versus when they break it is key to interpreting their message; a disrupted form often signals a disrupted idea or emotion.

Common Pitfalls

1. Misidentifying the Volta: The most common error is forcing the volta into line 9 for every sonnet. Remember, in a Shakespearean sonnet, the turn is usually at the couplet (line 13), though subtle shifts can occur earlier. Always let the poem’s argument, not a rigid rule, guide your identification.
2. Overgeneralizing Content: Assuming all Petrarchan sonnets are about unattainable love or all Shakespearean sonnets are argumentative is reductive. While historically linked to certain themes, the structures are versatile tools. Focus on how this specific poem uses its given form.
3. Ignoring Sonic Effects: Don’t just label the rhyme scheme. Analyze its effect. The interlocked abba rhyme of the Petrarchan octave can feel introspective or inescapable. The separated quatrains of the Shakespearean form can create a sense of logical, stepping progression. Connect sound to sense.
4. Neglecting the Couplet’s Function: Treating the Shakespearean couplet as a mere summary misses its power. Analyze it as the strategic climax of the argument. Does it resolve, undercut, transcend, or ironically comment on the preceding twelve lines?

Summary

• The Shakespearean sonnet uses three quatrains (abab cdcd efef) to develop an idea or argument, culminating in a resolving or reversing couplet (gg) where the volta typically occurs.
• The Petrarchan sonnet divides into an octave (abbaabba) that presents a problem or situation and a sestet (varying rhymes) that responds, with a decisive volta marking the transition between the two sections.
• The volta is a crucial analytical focal point; its placement and effect are dictated by the sonnet’s form and are central to the poem’s development of meaning.
• Poets manipulate and subvert these conventional structures (through rhyme, meter, or volta placement) to create tension, highlight themes, or modernize the form.
• For analysis, always connect the structural elements—how the poem is built—to the progression of its ideas. The form is not a cage but a blueprint for meaning.