Sonnet Tradition · English Literature

The Petrarchan conceit is best defined as:

  1. An elaborate and often far-fetched comparison between two things
  2. The poet's excessive pride and self-satisfaction in his own poetic craft
  3. A strict rhyme scheme that deliberately avoids repeating any sound
  4. The formal act of dedicating a poem or collection to a noble patron or monarch
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Correct answer: An elaborate and often far-fetched comparison between two things

A conceit is a complex, extended metaphor. In the Petrarchan sonnet tradition, conceits might compare a lover's heart to a besieged castle or his tears to a stormy sea preventing his 'ship' from reaching harbor.

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