Answering the question, the structure of an Italian sonnet is an octave followed by a sestet
The Italian sonnet is also known as the Petrarchan sonnets and its structure is octave or eight lines followed by a sestet or six lines
<h2>Further Explanation</h2>
The Italian sonnet was named after Francesco Petrarca, but he wasn’t the one that developed the sonnet form.
The Italian sonnet is very popular because its matter focuses on ideal love and also has some other important characteristics.
The Petrarchan sonnets have a rhyme scheme and structure, which are made up of 2 stanzas, which are:
- Octave or eight lines
- The sestet or six lines
The two stanzas can also be written in three stanzas with four lines each and a sestet. Generally, they contain 14 lines and written in an iambic parameter which take the form of a stressed and unstressed syllable
The rhythm theme of Italian sonnet is abba abba cdecde and the rhythm scheme for sestet can be in different forms which include cdd cee, cdcdcd, and cdd cdd.
The octave and sestet perform several functions in the Italian sonnet, the purpose of the octave in the Italian sonnet is to express a desire or introduce a problem and the sestet purpose is to apply a solution.
Therefore, the structure of an Italian sonnet is an octave followed by a sestet
LEARN MORE:
KEYWORDS:
- octave
- sestet
- italian sonnet
- Petrarchan sonnets
- iambic pentameter