What is the first section of a Petrarchan sonnet called?

Answer 1

an octave.

Answer 2

The Italian sonnet (coinvented by Giacomo da Lentini, head of the Sicilian School under Frederick II). Guittone d'Arezzo rediscovered it and brought it to Tuscany where he adapted it to his language when he founded the Neo-Sicilian School (1235–1294). He wrote almost 300 sonnets. Other Italian poets of the time, including Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) and Guido Cavalcanti (c. 1250–1300) wrote sonnets, but the most famous early sonneteer was Petrarca (known in English as Petrarch).

The Italian sonnet is split into two quatrains. First, the octave, (resp. two quatrains), which lets you know of a problem, followed by a sestet (resp. two tercets), which gives clarity with a break between the two sections. Typically, the ninth line creates a "turn" or volta, which signaled the move from proposition to resolution. Even in sonnets that don't strictly follow the problem/resolution structure, the ninth line still often marks a "turn" by signalling a change in the tone, mood, or stance of the poem.

Answer 3

The first eight lines are the octave, the final six lines are the sestet.