Sonnet

A sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines, traditionally written in iambic pentameter and following a set rhyme scheme. Two common forms are the Shakespearean sonnet and the Petrarchan sonnet. The Shakespearean has three quatrains and a closing couplet.

The Petrarchan has an eight-line octave and a six-line sestet. Sonnets are tightly organised, so they suit a single, developed idea or feeling, classically about love, time or mortality. The turn, or volta, is a key feature.

It is where the argument shifts. The compact form also forces a poet to be precise.

In Literature, recognising a sonnet lets you discuss how a poet uses a strict, well-known form. You can also say where they place the turn in the argument. Link the tight structure to the controlled expression of strong feeling.

Also notice whether the poet obeys or bends the traditional shape. Examiners reward both. It gives you a clear framework for analysing both form and meaning together.

A modern sonnet might spend twelve lines describing a lost friendship. The final couplet then reveals, with a quiet turn, that the speaker was partly to blame.

Count the fourteen lines, identify the rhyme scheme and locate the volta where the thought turns. Explain how the tight form shapes and controls the feeling, and what the turn reveals. Comment on whether the poet follows or adapts the tradition.

Always connect the structure to the poem's argument rather than simply naming the form.

You may also find writing formats and annotated model responses useful. Next, visit our skills guides for IGCSE English to see terms like this used in real answers. Our IGCSE English tuition page explains how lessons run. When you are ready, the paid one-hour trial is the first step.