What is the Structure of a Sonnet?

A sonnet is a 14-line poem that follows a specific rhyme scheme and structure. In the English or Shakespearean sonnet, it consists of three quatrains followed by a final rhymed couplet. The rhyme scheme is typically abab cdcd efef gg. Each line is written in iambic pentameter, which means it has 10 syllables and follows a stress pattern. The Italian or Petrarchan sonnet, on the other hand, is divided into an octave (8 lines) and a sestet (6 lines) with a different rhyme scheme. Both types of sonnets often explore themes of love, nature, and mortality.