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Difficulty: HardPoetic Structure and Form

Complete the structural analysis of the poetic forms described below by filling in the appropriate literary terms.

Answer:A fourteen-line poem in iambic pentameter structured into three quatrains and a concluding rhyming couplet with the rhyme scheme abab cdcd efef gg is a 【Shakespearean】 sonnet, while the dramatic transition or shift in thought between the octave and sestet of an Italian sonnet is known as the 【volta】.

Answer

The first blank is filled by 'Shakespearean' (or 'English') and the second blank is filled by 'volta' (or 'turn').
A fourteen-line poem composed of three quatrains followed by a final rhyming couplet (abab cdcd efef gg) is classified as a Shakespearean or English sonnet. The thematic pivot or structural shift occurring between the octave and sestet in traditional sonnet poetry is termed the volta (or turn).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the structural pattern of three quatrains and a couplet.
The rhyme scheme abab cdcd efef gg defines the Shakespearean (English) sonnet form.
Unlike the Italian sonnet's octave-sestet division, the Shakespearean sonnet develops a theme across three four-line stanzas before resolving it in a final two-line couplet.
2
Identify the literary term for the structural turn of thought in sonnet poetry.
The shift in tone, argument, or perspective between the octave and sestet is called the volta.
The volta marks the pivotal transition point in sonnet form, moving from problem statement to resolution.

Key Concept

Poetic Structure and Form (Sonnet Types and Volta)
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Poetic Structure and Form

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