A sonnet is a fixed poetic form traditionally consisting of fourteen lines, usually written in iambic pentameter-a rhythm where each line has ten syllables with every other syllable stressed

. The word "sonnet" comes from the Italian sonetto , meaning "little sound or song"

. Sonnets typically follow a specific rhyme scheme and are structured to explore themes, most famously romantic love and desire

. The form originated in 13th-century Italy, attributed to Giacomo da Lentini, and was popularized by the Italian poet Francesco Petrarch, whose style is known as the Petrarchan or Italian sonnet. This form divides the poem into an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines), with a "turn" or volta between them that shifts the poem's argument or mood

. The English or Shakespearean sonnet, developed later, consists of three quatrains (four-line stanzas) followed by a final rhymed couplet, with a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. This form is closely associated with William Shakespeare

. Other variations include the Spenserian sonnet and Miltonic sonnet, which have distinct rhyme schemes and thematic focuses

. In summary, a sonnet is a 14-line poem with a set meter and rhyme scheme, traditionally used to express complex emotions, especially love, through a structured argument or narrative progression within the poem