A 14-line poem is typically called a sonnet.

What type of poem has 14 lines?

  • The standard poetic form with 14 lines is the sonnet , a form that began in Italy and later became very popular in English, especially through Shakespeare.
  • Sonnets usually focus on a single idea or emotion and often include a “turn” in thought, called a volta , somewhere in the poem.

Common sonnet types

  • Italian (Petrarchan) sonnet
    • 14 lines, usually split into an 8-line octave and a 6-line sestet.
* Typical rhyme scheme: ABBAABBA for the octave, then CDCDCD or CDECDE.
  • English (Shakespearean) sonnet
    • 14 lines arranged as three quatrains and a closing couplet.
* Typical rhyme scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.
  • Spenserian sonnet
    • 14 lines with interlocking quatrains and a couplet: ABAB BCBC CDCD EE.

Extra quick facts

  • Many traditional sonnets use iambic pentameter , meaning each line has 10 syllables in a da-DUM rhythm across five “feet.”
  • There are also variations like “stretched sonnets” that add a few extra lines, but the classic 14-line form is still called a sonnet.

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