Question

select the correct answer.
what is the structure of an italian sonnet?
a. two quatrains followed by a sestet
b. three quatrains followed by a couplet
c. an octave followed by a sestet
d. an octave followed by three couplets

Explanation:

An Italian sonnet (Petrarchan sonnet) has a structure of an octave (8 lines) followed by a sestet (6 lines). Option A describes a structure that's not typical for Italian sonnets (two quatrains + sestet is incorrect; Italian sonnet's first part is an octave, not two quatrains). Option B is the structure of an English (Shakespearean) sonnet (three quatrains + a couplet). Option D is incorrect as there are no three couplets. So the correct structure is an octave followed by a sestet.

Answer:

C. an octave followed by a sestet