Read the poem extract below carefully:
When evening settles over silent hills,
And shadows whisper to the dying light,
The restless spirit seeks the calm of night
To escape the burden of worldly ills.
In solitude, a quiet peace instills
A fragile hope against the growing blight,
Where weary hearts reclaim their inner sight,
And tranquil thought the mind's dark cavern fills.
Yet hark! A sudden melody awakes,
Breaking the heavy slumber of the air;
The morning breaks, the dreary shadows part,
And joy renewed within the bosom aches,
Dispelling every trace of old despair,
To bring a vibrant sunrise to the heart.
What structural feature marks the transition between the eighth and ninth lines of this poem?
- A volta marking a thematic and emotional shift between an octave and a sestetAnswer
- BA heroic couplet functioning as the concluding summary of a Shakespearean sonnet
- CA metric breakdown shifting the stanza from iambic pentameter into free verse
- DAn refrain stanzaic repetition that restates the main motif of the poem
Answer
The transition between line 8 and line 9 is marked by a volta (or turn), which shifts the poem's mood and thought from contemplative solitude (the octave) to vibrant renewal (the sestet) within a traditional Italian (Petrarchan) sonnet structure.
The poem is structured as an Italian (Petrarchan) sonnet, comprising an octave (lines 1–8) with an ABBA ABBA rhyme scheme and a sestet (lines 9–14) with a CDE CDE scheme. The word 'Yet' at the beginning of line 9 signals a distinct turn in thought and tone—known as the volta—moving from melancholic reflection to hopeful awakening.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Volta in Petrarchan Sonnet