Which sonnet form is known for its octave and a turn, often rhyming ABBAABBA with a varied sestet?

Which sonnet form is known for its octave and a turn, often rhyming ABBAABBA with a varied sestet?

• A. Shakespearean Sonnet
• B. Petrarchan Sonnet
• C. Spenserian Sonnet
• D. Italian Sonnet

Answer: (B)

This item is about the Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet, a form built around an octave and a turn. The octave usually rhymes ABBAABBA, presenting a situation or question. Then a volta, or turning point, shifts the thought into the sestet, which offers reflection or resolution. The sestet tends to have a flexible rhyme scheme, often something like CDCDCD or CDECDE, rather than the strict patterns of the octave. This combination—octave with a turn and a varied sestet—defines the Petrarchan form, which is why it’s the best match for the description. For contrast, the Shakespearean sonnet relies on three quatrains and a final couplet, and the Spenserian interlaces rhymes, so they don’t fit this particular structure as closely.

This item is about the Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet, a form built around an octave and a turn. The octave usually rhymes ABBAABBA, presenting a situation or question. Then a volta, or turning point, shifts the thought into the sestet, which offers reflection or resolution. The sestet tends to have a flexible rhyme scheme, often something like CDCDCD or CDECDE, rather than the strict patterns of the octave. This combination—octave with a turn and a varied sestet—defines the Petrarchan form, which is why it’s the best match for the description. For contrast, the Shakespearean sonnet relies on three quatrains and a final couplet, and the Spenserian interlaces rhymes, so they don’t fit this particular structure as closely.