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Italian for “turn.” In poetry, the volta is the moment in a poem where the argument, tone, or direction shifts — creating a pivot that changes how the poem’s earlier statements are understood. In a Petrarchan sonnet, the volta occurs between the octave and sestet (after line 8). In a Shakespearean sonnet, it typically occurs at the final couplet. The volta is one of the most powerful structural tools in lyric poetry.
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