What is a volta?

A volta is the "turning point" in a poem, a moment of dramatic shift in tone or theme of the poem. In a Shakespearean sonnet, it can be found anywhere in the second half of the poem, usually within the l. 8-12 bracket. In Petrarch or Sydney's sonnets, it is found uniquely on l. 8.

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Answered by Zoë W. English Literature tutor

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