What is the rhyme scheme of a Petrarchan sonnet?

The rhyme scheme of a Petrarchan sonnet is usually ABBA ABBA CDE CDE. The Petrarchan sonnet consists of two parts or stanzas:

 

  1. An octave (8 lines): here, the rhyme scheme is typically ABBA ABBA. This part introduces the reader to a problem or conflict.
  2. A sestet (6 lines): here the rhyme scheme follows the pattern CDE CDE or CDC DCD. The sestet provides the solution to the problem introduced in the octave– this is why they have separate rhyme schemes.