Skip to content
    English Literature GCSE

    Petrarchan Sonnet

    What Petrarchan Sonnet means in English Literature GCSE, as defined for Eduqas, OCR, Pearson Edexcel.

    Definitions of Petrarchan Sonnet

    Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.

    A 14-line poem consisting of an octave with the rhyme scheme abbaabba and of a sestet with one of several rhyme schemes.
    Pearson Edexcel · Relationships Poetry Anthology (study guide)
    A 14-line poem consisting of an octave (8 lines) and a sestet (6 lines), traditionally used for love poetry.
    Eduqas · In the Park (study guide)
    A 14-line poem divided into an octave (8 lines) and a sestet (6 lines), traditionally used for love poetry.
    Eduqas · The Soldier (study guide)
    A 14-line poem consisting of an octave (rhyming abbaabba) and a sestet (rhyming cdcdcd or cdecde).
    OCR · Love and Relationships Anthology (study guide)
    A 14-line poem divided into an 8-line octave and a 6-line sestet, usually about love.
    Eduqas · Sonnet 43 (study guide)
    A 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme, traditionally used for love poetry.
    Pearson Edexcel · Poetry Anthology: Time and Place (15 poems – Romantic, Literary Heritage, Contemporary) (study guide)

    Topics that use Petrarchan Sonnet

    Related terms

    Using Petrarchan Sonnet in the exam

    Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.

    Practise English Literature questions

    Create a free account to answer exam-style questions on this topic and get feedback on your answers.

    Start free

    7 days Premium · Then free forever · No card, no charge

    All English Literature GCSE terms