What is the structure of a Shakespearean or Elizabethan sonnet?

A Shakespearean or Elizabethan sonnet has a distinctive structure consisting of three quatrains followed by a couplet. This format allows for a development of ideas across the quatrains, typically where each quatrain explores a different aspect of the central theme or argument. The final couplet then offers a resolution or a summarizing thought that ties together the themes presented in the previous quatrains.

This structure plays a crucial role in how the sonnet unfolds, as it permits a narrative or logical progression that can lead to a poignant conclusion. The three quatrains generally consist of four lines each, adhering to the rhyme scheme ABABCDCDEFEF, while the final couplet follows with a rhyming couplet GG. Such organization is key to understanding how Shakespeare crafted his verses to convey complex emotions and ideas through rhyme and meter.

Other structures mentioned in the options do not accurately represent the Shakespearean sonnet form. Some may describe different types of sonnets or poetic forms.