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The Petrarchan or Italian sonnet is divided into an octave and a sestet; the sestet's rhyme varies, but it is generally either cdecde (an Italian sestet) or cdcdcd (Sicilian sestet). A turn or volta traditionally occurs after the octave--a shift in thought that is pursued and closed in the sestet.
The Shakesperian or English sonnet is divided into three Sicilian Quatrains rhyming abab cdcd efef and one heroic couplet--gg. A turn takes place after the third quatrain and before the couplet, which is generally a climactic parallel.
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