Sonnets, the 14-line poems of love and beauty, come in two main flavors: Petrarchan and Shakespearean. Each has its own structure and style. Petrarchan sonnets, born in Italy, have an octave and sestet. Shakespearean sonnets, from England, use three quatrains and a couplet.

These poetic forms tackle different themes. Petrarchan sonnets often explore courtly love and idealized beauty. Shakespearean sonnets cover a wider range, including love, time, and mortality. Both styles influenced English poetry, with Shakespeare's innovations leaving a lasting mark on the form.

Sonnet Structure and Development

Structure of Petrarchan vs Shakespearean sonnets

• Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet comprises 14 lines divided into octave (8 lines) presenting problem or situation with ABBAABBA rhyme scheme and sestet (6 lines) providing resolution with CDECDE, CDCDCD, or CDEDCE variations
• Shakespearean (English) sonnet consists of 14 lines with three quatrains (4 lines each) developing theme using ABAB CDCD EFEF rhyme scheme and concluding couplet summarizing or providing twist with GG rhyme
• Volta (turn) in Petrarchan sonnets typically occurs between octave and sestet while in Shakespearean often found before final couplet

Themes in Petrarchan vs Shakespearean sonnets

• Petrarchan sonnets focus on courtly love, idealized beauty, explore unrequited love and emotional turmoil (Laura as unattainable object of desire)
• Shakespearean sonnets cover broader themes including love, beauty, time, mortality, more personal and introspective (Fair Youth, Dark Lady)
• Petrarchan style uses conceits (extended metaphors), formal language, contrasts octave and sestet
• Shakespearean style allows flexible idea development across quatrains, uses conversational language, incorporates puns and wordplay
• Petrarchan narrative often presents problem-solution structure while Shakespearean builds argument through quatrains with couplet providing resolution

Influence and Innovation

Petrarch's influence on Renaissance poetry

• Sonnet form introduced to England by Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey who translated and adapted Petrarch's works
• Petrarchan conventions adopted in English poetry included stock images (ice and fire), heart as fortress metaphor, idealization of beloved, exploration of conflicting emotions
• English sonnet sequences developed (Sidney's "Astrophil and Stella", Spenser's "Amoretti")
• Petrarchan themes integrated into non-sonnet poetry and influenced courtly love traditions in English literature

Shakespeare's innovations in sonnet form

• Structural changes included three-quatrain and couplet structure, final couplet for epigrammatic effect or surprising turn
• Thematic expansions explored male friendship, patronage, subverted traditional beauty standards, incorporated philosophical questions
• Linguistic advancements integrated colloquial language, natural speech patterns, complex enjambment and caesura usage
• Character development within sonnet sequences created distinct personas (Fair Youth, Dark Lady) with narrative progression
• Shakespeare's sonnet form became distinct, influential for future English poets