Question

Explain how the form of a Petrarchan sonnet affects the content and tone

Answer 1

A Petrarchan sonnet:
- Requires more rhymes than a S sonnet.
- Allows for more space to draw out ideas
- The sestet often refers all the way back to something expressed in the octave, whereas the quatrains in a S sonnet typically refer to the one immediately preceding it.
- I guess I would say the P sonnet is less punchy and bang bang bang as a form.
- Often P sonnets are more subtle and subdued, whereas S sonnets move swiftly from point to point.

The obvious caveat with all this is that when you write a P sonnet or a S sonnet, you can of course do what you will with the form. All that's required is that you use the abba-abba type structure for it to be a Petrarchan sonnet. There's no rule that says you have to devote the octave to exploring just one idea or that the sestet can't deliver a huge punch of a conclusion at the very end.