The type of poem by the name of ‘sonnet’ can be defined as ‘fundamentally a dialectical construct which allows the poet to examine the nature and ramifications of two usually contrastive ideas, emotions, states of mind, beliefs, actions, events, images, etc., by juxtaposing the two against each other, and possibly resolving or just revealing the tensions created and operative between the two’ (Miller). In short, sonnets are written by the English gentlemen in 1500s to convey their view of certain matters or issues by showing two related and yet different things and make the readers see the message created in order to ensure communication between the writers and the readers. Actually a sonnet, including Petrarchan’s used to be treated solely about love for women. However, Shakespeare’s sonnets are exceptional.

            ‘Petrarchan sonnets’ is the term used for the form of sonnets by Petrarch, an Italian poet (1304-1374). ‘Shakespearean sonnets’, on the other hand, means English sonnets produced by Shakespeare, which has different set of rules compared to Petrarchan sonnets. Petrarchan sonnets were practiced by Francesco Petrarch 200 years before William Shakespeare was born. Thus, Petrarchan sonnets were created by Petrarch and eventually introduced to Shakespeare by Thomas Wyatt. Therefore, the original sonnets come from Petrarch and modified by Shakespeare and adapted into English style of language. The most apparent differences between Shakespearean and Petrarchan sonnets are the structure, sequence and the proportioning.

Structure

            For the form of Petrarchan sonnets, the sonnets have two different groups of rhyming sound, which are octave and sestet. Octave refers to the first 8 lines, while sestet refers to the remaining 6 lines that are more flexible rhymes compared to octave. The most significant thing about the Petrarchan’s sestet is that no couplet ending is permitted. The rhyme for octave is abbaabba. Meanwhile, sestet rhymes cdecde, cdccdc, or cdedce. It was said that the change from one rhyme group to another rhyme group signifies a change in the subject matter. The octave presents the narrative, states the proposition or raises a question; the sestet drives home the narrative by making an abstract comment, applies the proposition, or solves the problem (The Sonnet, 2007). Therefore, the Petrarchan’s sonnets state the problem or issue at the octave and declare the resolution at the bottom, which is at the sestet, the remaining 6 lines.