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Difficulty: MediumLiterary Genres and Forms

Which poetic form is characterized by a fourteen-line structure organized into three quatrains followed by a final rhyming couplet, adhering to the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GGABAB\ CDCD\ EFEF\ GG?

  1. Shakespearean sonnetAnswer
  2. B
    Petrarchan sonnet
  3. C
    Spenserian sonnet
  4. D
    Miltonic sonnet

Answer

The Shakespearean sonnet is defined by fourteen lines divided into three quatrains and a concluding rhyming couplet with the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.
The Shakespearean (English) sonnet is defined by fourteen lines divided into three four-line stanzas (quatrains) and a final two-line rhyming couplet, using the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the structural breakdown of the poem
The structure comprises 14 lines total: 3 quatrains (4 lines each = 12 lines) plus 1 couplet (2 lines).
Identifying line grouping is the first step in classifying sonnet structures.
2
Examine the rhyme scheme organization
The rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG shows three distinct, non-interlocking quatrains ending in a standalone rhyming couplet.
Different sonnet variants are distinguished by whether their rhyme schemes interlock or conclude with a separate couplet.
3
Match the structural properties to the correct subgenre
Three quatrains followed by a rhyming couplet with ABAB CDCD EFEF GG defines the English or Shakespearean sonnet.
This specific layout was popularized by William Shakespeare and represents the classic English sonnet form.

Key Concept

Sonnet Forms and Structures (Shakespearean vs. Petrarchan)
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Topics

Literary Genres and Forms

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