How to Count Stanzas in a Sonnet

Shakespeare wrote poetry in the form of sonnets.

Sonnets are a type of poetry that are divided into a certain number of lines, often 14, that are known as stanzas. There are two major types of sonnets: Italian and English. The Italian version of the sonnet normally has a different type of format than the English version, which was made famous by William Shakespeare. The Italian version came first and was developed by Petrarch in the 14th century. It is not difficult to understand sonnets and stanzas once you learn the basic terminology and formats.

Instructions

1. Count the number of stanzas by looking for the commas in the sonnet. Stanzas in sonnets are separated by commas.

2. Count the number of stanzas grouped together to determine which type of stanza it is. These groupings will be separated by spaces.

3. Read two rhyming stanzas grouped together as a couplet. Three rhyming stanzas grouped together make a tercet. Read four rhyming stanzas grouped together to create a quatrain. A cinquain has five rhyming stanzas grouped together. Read six stanzas as a sestet, seven as a septet and eight stanzas as a octave or octet.

References

• House Wild Rose Official Web Site; The Elizabethan Sonnet; Magistra Rosemounde of Mercia
• Grinnell College: Line Groupings and Stanzas
• University of Pennsylvania The Sonnet; July 2007