When someone says the rhyme is abbaabba what does that mean?

Question

I would really like to write a Petrarca sonnet, but the lingo of poetry is so diffucult to understand if someone could give me a very simplistic "lingo" free explination so I can write one myself. Thanks

Answer 1

Get it right (here)
http://www.noggs.dsl.pipex.com/vf/stanza.htm

http://www.sonnets.org/basicforms.htm

Answer 2

that means that the ending words share a rhyme scheme..

example

............me (a)
..........you (b)
.........see (a)
...........dew (b)

the rhyme scheme would be a (me, see) & b (you, dew)

As far as the sonnet I am not familiar with it but I will check it out and come back to see what I can offer you


Earth
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ok I am back....see if you can follow me

Your sonnet needs to be written in 2 sections
1) octave
2)sestet

your octave meaning eight lines is divided in to quatrains, each with the rhyme scheme abba
ie

1.......me (a)
2......you (b)
3.......dew (b)
4.......see (a)

and the same for the next quadtrain (4 line stanza)

1
2
3
4

for your sestet...you can choose between 3 different rhyme schemes
c-d-e-c-d-e
EX. (he,blue, us free, shoe, lust)
c=he, free
d=blue, shoe
e=us, lust

c-d-c-d-c-d
c-d-e-d-c-e

now that completes the format aspect...now content.
the 1st quad (4 line stanza)- presents the theme of the poem

so lets say your theme is summer..you introduce it in these 4 lines

then in your nexy 4 lines you develop it. Here is where you tell us more about summer

now for your sestet...the 1st 3 lines reflect on your theme, and then the last 3 brings the poem to a close

I hope this was helpful to you. Good Luck

Earth