View source for Petrarchan sonnet

The [[sonnet]] was invented in Sicily in the thirteenth century by Giacomo da Lentini, but it was developed and refined in the fourteenth century by the poet and scholar [[Petrarch]] (Francesco Petrarcha,1304-1374), who established the conventions of the so called Petrarchan or Italian sonnet. This model was followed by Italian poets and by some English poets (e.g., Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503-1542)), though not by [[Shakespeare]].

The '''Petrarchan sonnet''' has two main distinguishing features:

*It has a distinctive [[rhyme scheme]]. The first eight lines (or octave) have the pattern a-b-b-a-a-b-b-a, while for the final six lines (or sestet) there are various possibilities, e.g., c-d-d-c-d-d, or c-d-c-d-c-d, or c-d-e-c-d-e, or c-d-d-c-e-e. A '''Petrarchan sonnet''', therefore, uses at most five [[rhyme]]s, unlike a [[Shakespeare]]an sonnet, which uses seven. (See further [[Sonnet]] and [[Three types of sonnet]].)

*Between the octave and the sestet there is usually a change in the direction of the poet's line of thought. For example, the octave may describe a situation, while the sestet comments on the situation; or the octave may present a problem, to which the sestet proposes a solution. The technical term used to describe this change in the direction of the poet's line of thought is the Italian word ''volta'', which means 'turn'.

Here, as an example of a '''Petrarchan sonnet''' is Poem 292 from [[Petrarch]]'s collection ''Il canzoniere'' (''The Songbook''). Almost all of [[Petrarch]]'s poetry is concerned with his unrequited and idealised love for Laura, and this [[sonnet]] is one of many which express his feelings on her death. Like all [[Petrarch]]'s [[sonnet]]s (and much Italian poetry), this [[sonnet]] is written in [[hendecasyllable]]s, i.e., lines of 11 syllables. ('''Petrarchan sonnets''' in other languages use other [[metre]]s: for example, '''Petrarchan sonnets''' in English - see, e.g., [[Milton]]'s ''On His Deceased Wife''  in [[Three types of sonnet]] - tend to use [[iambic]] [[pentameter]]s.) As you will see, the [[rhyme scheme]] of the sestet is c-d-c-d-c-d.

:''Gli occhi di ch'io parlai sì caldamente,''
:''et le braccia et le mani e i piedi e 'l viso,''
:''che m'avean sì da me stesso diviso,''
:''et fatto singular da l'altra gente;''

:''le crespe chiome d'òr puro lucente''
:'''l lampeggiar de l'angelico riso,''
:''che solean fare in terra un paradiso,''
:''poca polvere son, che nulla sente.''

:''Et io pur vivo, onde mi doglio e sdegno,''
:''rimaso senza 'l lume ch'amai tanto,''
:''in gran fortuna e 'n disarmato legno.''

:''Or sia qui fine al mio amoroso canto:''
:''secca è la vena de l'usato ingegno,''
:''et la cetera mia rivolta in pianto.''

(Translation:

:The eyes I spoke of with such warmth,
:The arms and hands and feet and face
:Which took me away from myself
:And marked me out from other people;

:The waving hair of pure shining gold,
:And the flash of her angelic smile,
:Which used to make a paradise on earth,
:Are a little dust, that feels nothing.

:And yet I live, for which I grieve and despise myself,
:Left without the light I loved so much,
:In a great storm on an unprotected raft.

:Here let there be an end to my loving song:
:The vein of my accustomed invention has run dry,
:And my lyre is turned to tears.

See further [[Petrarch]], [[Sonnet]], [[Three types of sonnet]].

[[Category:Culture]][[Category:European culture]][[Category:Verse forms]][[category:Italian literature]]