1) Definition (CUET-ready)
A sonnet is a lyric poem of 14 lines written in a regulated pattern of:
- rhyme scheme,
- and (typically) meter (often iambic pentameter in English).
Sonnet tradition is central to English poetry and often tested for:
- form types,
- rhyme schemes,
- structural “turn” (volta),
- and basic distinctions between Petrarchan and Shakespearean forms.
2) Two major sonnet types (must-know)
A) Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet
Structure:
- Octave (8 lines) + Sestet (6 lines) Common rhyme pattern (typical):
- Octave: ABBAABBA
- Sestet: varies (CDECDE / CDCDCD etc.)
Function:
- Octave sets up a problem/argument/emotion,
- Sestet responds/resolves/complicates.
B) Shakespearean (English) sonnet
Structure:
- Three quatrains + a couplet Rhyme scheme:
- ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
Function:
- Quatrains develop ideas through variations,
- Final couplet offers twist, summary, or epigrammatic closure.