Which form of sonnet consists of an octave with ABBAABBA followed by a sestet with flexible rhyme schemes?

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Multiple Choice

Which form of sonnet consists of an octave with ABBAABBA followed by a sestet with flexible rhyme schemes?

This form is the Petrarchan Sonnet, or Italian sonnet. Its defining structure is an octave with the rhyme pattern ABBAABBA, which sets up a situation, idea, or question. After the octave, the sestet provides a response, reflection, or resolution and often uses a more flexible set of rhymes, commonly patterns like CDE CDE or CDC DCD. That division—octave with a fixed rhyme and a sestet with looser rhymes—is what makes the Petrarchan form distinctive. To connect with other options: the Shakespearean Sonnet uses three quatrains plus a final couplet with a different pattern (ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG), which is a different structural approach. The Spenserian Sonnet features interwoven rhymes across quatrains (ABAB BCBC CDCD EE). A Sonnet Cycle refers to a sequence of sonnets rather than a single formal pattern.

This form is the Petrarchan Sonnet, or Italian sonnet. Its defining structure is an octave with the rhyme pattern ABBAABBA, which sets up a situation, idea, or question. After the octave, the sestet provides a response, reflection, or resolution and often uses a more flexible set of rhymes, commonly patterns like CDE CDE or CDC DCD. That division—octave with a fixed rhyme and a sestet with looser rhymes—is what makes the Petrarchan form distinctive.

To connect with other options: the Shakespearean Sonnet uses three quatrains plus a final couplet with a different pattern (ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG), which is a different structural approach. The Spenserian Sonnet features interwoven rhymes across quatrains (ABAB BCBC CDCD EE). A Sonnet Cycle refers to a sequence of sonnets rather than a single formal pattern.

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