What are the two classifications of a sonnet?

• A. English and Italian
• B. Shakespearean and Petrarchan
• C. Modern and Classical
• D. Romantic and Modern

Answer: (A)

Two broad classifications guide how we think about sonnets: Italian and English. The Italian form, often called the Petrarchan sonnet, organizes the poem into an octave and a sestet and typically moves the argument or mood with a volta between them. Its rhyme pattern traditionally centers on the octave with a scheme like ABBA ABBA, followed by a varied sestet, giving a clear turn from problem to reflection.

The English form, commonly called the Shakespearean sonnet, uses three quatrains plus a concluding couplet, with a rhyme scheme such as ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Its turning point or insight often surfaces in the final couplet, which offers a summation or twist on what the preceding quatrains have built.

These two categories reflect the historical development of the form: the Italian/Petrarchan model from Petrarch’s Italian sonnets and the English/Shakespearean adaptation that took root in English poetry. Some course materials also name the forms by the poets themselves, but the same split—Italian versus English—captures the essential distinction.