Structure of a Sonnet

Front

What is a sonnet?

Back

A sonnet is a 14-line poem that follows a specific rhyme scheme and meter.

Front

What is the rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet?

Back

The rhyme scheme is ABABCDCDEFEFGG.

Front

What is iambic pentameter?

Back

Iambic pentameter is a type of meter in poetry that consists of five iambs (unstressed-stressed syllables) per line.

Front

How many lines are in a sonnet?

Back

A sonnet has 14 lines.

Front

What is a quatrain?

Back

A quatrain is a stanza or poem of four lines.

Front

How many quatrains are in a sonnet?

Back

There are three quatrains in a sonnet.

Front

What is a couplet?

Back

A couplet is a stanza or poem of two lines.

Front

What does 'pentameter' mean?

Back

Pentameter means a line of verse consisting of five metrical feet.

Front

What is the structure of a Shakespearean sonnet?

Back

It consists of three quatrains followed by a couplet.

Front

What is the purpose of the volta in a sonnet?

Back

The volta is a turn in thought or argument, typically occurring between the octet and sestet.