How to Write a Petrarchan Sonnet
- 1). Come up with a good idea and a strong theme. This is the most important part of any sonnet. There should be some kind of conflict, of your choice, in the first stanzas and a resolution in the closing ones. You should think about using imagery in your Petrarchan sonnet, as well as metaphors and similes. After you are aware of these points, you can consider starting on your piece.
- 2). Familiarize yourself with the Petrarchan sonnet's rhyme scheme. The Petrarchan sonnet is the oldest and arguably one of the most popular sonnet forms. This form is usually divided into two individual stanzas. The first consisting of eight lines (known as an Octave) and the second of six lines (known as a Sestet). The rhyme scheme -- the arrangement of the lines' final words so that they rhyme according to a set pattern -- for the Petrarchan sonnet follows this pattern: "a-b-b-a, a-b-b-a; c-d-e, c-d-e."
- 3). Give your story a rhythm. Possibly the most crucial aspect of writing your Petrarchan sonnet is the meter. You can construct any proper sonnet by using what is called an "iambic pentameter", which means that each line of your piece will consist of five iambic feet. Keep the syllables of each line of your sonnet following this meter structure: da-DUM/da-DUM/da-DUM/da-DUM/da-DUM.
