Which type of sonnet is defined as a 14-line poem in iambic pentameter with a rhyme scheme?

• A. Haiku
• B. Limerick
• C. Petrarchan
• D. Shakespearean sonnet

Answer: (D)

A Shakespearean sonnet is defined by a 14-line poem written in iambic pentameter that follows a specific rhyme pattern: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. This English form is built from three quatrains and a final couplet, which is what gives it a distinctive rhythm and rhyme that most students recognize. Haiku is much shorter—three lines with a 5-7-5 syllable pattern and not written in iambic pentameter. A limerick has five lines with a playful AABBA rhyme and a lively rhythm. A Petrarchan sonnet also has 14 lines in iambic pentameter, but its typical rhyme scheme is ABBA ABBA in the octave and CDE CDE (or CDC DCD) in the sestet, which differs from the Shakespearean pattern. Since the description highlights a 14-line poem in iambic pentameter with a defined rhyme scheme characteristic of the English form, the Shakespearean sonnet is the best fit.