Petrarchan sonnet

noun

1. a sonnet form popularized by Petrarch, consisting of an octave with the rhyme scheme abbaabba and of a sestet with one of several rhyme schemes, as cdecde or cdcdcd.

Petrarchan sonnet

noun

1. Also called: Italian sonnet. 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 d

Word History and Origins

Origin of Petrarchan sonnet¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

The home purge show is now as rigorously structured as the hero’s journey or a Petrarchan sonnet.

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Post-debate analysis will reveal that all of her answers will have been composed as perfect Petrarchan sonnets.

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The enfolded quatrain-form is itself a reference to the rhyme scheme of the Petrarchan sonnet's sestet.

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The technique is impeccable, with complete command of the Petrarchan sonnet form and its dramatic timing.

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An excellent example of the Petrarchan sonnet of this exact type is Austin Dobson's "Don Quixote."

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