Sonnet Review

Front

What is a sonnet?

Back

A sonnet is a 14-line poem, typically written in iambic pentameter, that follows a specific rhyme scheme.

Front

What is iambic pentameter?

Back

Iambic pentameter is a type of poetic meter that consists of five iambs per line, where an iamb is a metrical foot with an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.

Front

What is the structure of a Petrarchan sonnet?

Back

A Petrarchan sonnet consists of an octave (eight lines) followed by a sestet (six lines), typically with a rhyme scheme of ABBAABBA for the octave.

Front

What is a quatrain?

Back

A quatrain is a stanza or poem consisting of four lines, often with alternating rhymes.

Front

What is the rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet?

Back

The rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet is ABABCDCDEFEFGG.

Front

What is the purpose of a volta in a sonnet?

Back

The volta, or 'turn,' is a rhetorical shift or dramatic change in thought that typically occurs between the octave and sestet in a Petrarchan sonnet.

Front

What are the two main types of sonnets?

Back

The two main types of sonnets are the Petrarchan (or Italian) sonnet and the Shakespearean (or English) sonnet.

Front

What is the significance of the iambic foot in poetry?

Back

The iambic foot is significant because it creates a natural rhythm in poetry, mimicking the natural flow of spoken English.

Front

How does a Shakespearean sonnet differ from a Petrarchan sonnet?

Back

A Shakespearean sonnet consists of three quatrains followed by a couplet, while a Petrarchan sonnet has an octave followed by a sestet.

Front

What is a couplet in poetry?

Back

A couplet is a pair of consecutive lines of poetry that typically rhyme and have the same meter.