What is the structure of a Petrarchan sonnet?

The structure of a Petrarchan sonnet is characterized by its division into two main parts: an octave and a sestet. The octave, which consists of eight lines, typically follows a specific rhyme scheme of ABBAABBA. This section often presents a problem, question, or emotional state. Following the octave is a sestet, made up of six lines, which can vary in rhyme scheme, commonly CDECDE or CDCDCD. The sestet provides a resolution, answer, or reflection on the subject introduced in the octave.

This two-part structure effectively allows poets to present a theme and then explore or resolve it, making it distinct from other sonnet forms, such as the Shakespearean sonnet, which consists of three quatrains and a final couplet.