Petrarchan sonnet. noun. a sonnet form associated with the poet Petrarch, having an octave rhyming a b b a a b b a and a sestet rhyming either c d e c d e or c d c d c dAlso called: Italian sonnet.

What is a Petrarchan sonnet?

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.

Why is it called Petrarchan sonnet?

The Petrarchan Sonnet is named after the Italian poet Francesco Petrarch, a lyrical poet of fourteenth-century Italy. Petrarch did not invent the poetic form that bears his name.

What is the main theme of Petrarchan sonnet?

These were written in the fourteenth century and the most well-known was written about a woman named Laura. Through his sonnets, Petrarch made popular the theme of inaccessible love conceits which compared a woman’s features to objects.

What are the features of Petrarchan sonnet?

Petrarchan sonnets have their own rhyme scheme and structure. They include two stanzas: an octave, or eight lines, and a sestet, or six lines. They can alternatively be written in three stanzas with two quatrains, or four lines each, and a sestet.

What is another name for a Petrarchan sonnet?

The Petrarchan sonnet, also known as the Italian sonnet, is a sonnet named after the Italian poet Francesco Petrarca, although it was not developed by Petrarch himself, but rather by a string of Renaissance poets.

What is the difference between a Shakespeare and Petrarchan sonnet?

In a Petrarchan Sonnet generally the theme and the subject matter is based on love and the lady is highly adored with decorative language and rhetoric. But in a Shakespearean Sonnet love is divided into two parties. There is found the worship offered to the poets male friend and the love offered to The Mysterious Lady.

Are petrarchan sonnets romantic?

The two classic forms that the Romantics used the most were the Petrarchan sonnet and the Shakespearean sonnet. The Petrarchan or Italian form usually follows a rhyme scheme of ABBA ABBA CDE CDE.

Who introduced Petrarchan sonnet form into English?

Sir Philip Sidney, a lauded courtier in Elizabeth I’s court, wrote the first known Petrarchan sonnet sequence in English in the 1580s (titled Astrophil and Stella), and a great many poets opted to use the form from that point until the end of the Renaissance.

How do you write a Petrarchan sonnet?

Petrarchan Sonnet



The Petrarchan sonnet consists of two quatrains (or an octave) and a closing minor group of six lines (the sestet). The rhyme pattern is usually: ABBA ABBA CDE CDE. ABAB means that the first line and the third line rhyme (A with A), as do the second and fourth (B with B).

How does Petrarch describe love?

How does Petrarch describe love in his 61st poem? He describes it as a trap to be avoided. He compares it to a long voyage.

What is true love According to Petrarch?

Petrarch’s journey then may reveal the simplest truths—that love brings joy and sorrow, that time may not heal, but most importantly, that our faith in God can remain steadfast as our eyes look not to ourselves or to others, but heavenward.

Why are sonnets about love?

Sonnets are nice, because they have multiple meanings and can be interpreted differently by each person who reads them. They reflect the different kinds of love and friendships encountered throughout life and reflect the personal nature of love itself.

Who introduced Petrarchan sonnet form into English?

Sir Philip Sidney, a lauded courtier in Elizabeth I’s court, wrote the first known Petrarchan sonnet sequence in English in the 1580s (titled Astrophil and Stella), and a great many poets opted to use the form from that point until the end of the Renaissance.

How did Petrarch influence Shakespeare?

Petrarch’s idea of courtly love influences Shakespeare, but Shakespeare is a bit more cynical and dark in his views in certain poems. However, Sonnet 116 is the exception that fits in with petrarchism as it celebrates marriage as an unbreakable commitment built on values and morals.

Who borrowed the Petrarchan form of sonnet?

It is thought that the English inherited the Italian structure of the sonnet sequence from Dante and Petrarch, and then tailored it to fit their own intentions Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, in which, “while declaring his love for his mistress, he mocks the Petrarchan standard vocabulary of praise”, is an example that marks

What are the 3 types of sonnets?

The Main Types of Sonnet. In the English-speaking world, we usually refer to three discrete types of sonnet: the Petrarchan, the Shakespearean, and the Spenserian. All of these maintain the features outlined above – fourteen lines, a volta, iambic pentameter – and they all three are written in sequences.

Are petrarchan sonnets romantic?

The two classic forms that the Romantics used the most were the Petrarchan sonnet and the Shakespearean sonnet. The Petrarchan or Italian form usually follows a rhyme scheme of ABBA ABBA CDE CDE.