How many lines does the sonnet have?

How many lines does the sonnet have?

• A. 10 lines.
• B. 12 lines.
• C. 14 lines.
• D. 16 lines.

Answer: (C)

A sonnet uses a fixed number of lines, and that number is fourteen. In English, the form typically divides into three four-line units (quatrains) and a final two-line unit (couplet), often with the rhyme pattern ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. In the traditional Italian Petrarchan form, the fourteen lines split into an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines). These standard structures ensure the total remains fourteen lines, which is why fourteen is the correct count. Counts like ten, twelve, or sixteen lines belong to other poem forms or variations, not a standard sonnet.

A sonnet uses a fixed number of lines, and that number is fourteen. In English, the form typically divides into three four-line units (quatrains) and a final two-line unit (couplet), often with the rhyme pattern ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. In the traditional Italian Petrarchan form, the fourteen lines split into an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines). These standard structures ensure the total remains fourteen lines, which is why fourteen is the correct count. Counts like ten, twelve, or sixteen lines belong to other poem forms or variations, not a standard sonnet.