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. 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 Also calledItalian sonnet

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.

From New York Times

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

From Washington Post

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

From The Guardian

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

From The Guardian

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

From Project Gutenberg