A sonnet is a 14-line poem that follows a specific rhyme scheme and often explores themes of love, beauty, or nature.
Related terms
Petrarchan Sonnet: A type of sonnet named after Italian poet Francesco Petrarch, characterized by an octave (eight lines) followed by a sestet (six lines).
Shakespearean Sonnet: Also known as an English sonnet, it consists of three quatrains (four-line stanzas) followed by a final couplet.
Volta: The turning point or shift in tone that often occurs between different sections or at line nine in traditional sonnets.