I’ve tried both the “Shakespearian” (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG) sonnet form and the “Petrarchan” (ABBA ABBA CDE CDE) form, and honestly, Christine, I went with this only because of the initial rhymes that occurred to me. But it meant that I had to find more rhymes for the octave! There were a few points at which I nearly abandoned it for that alone. (Perhaps of interest to no one but me, I chose to avoid the inviting rhyme “dead” in the octave to underscore the poem’s meaning.)

Thank you for reading and responding. I thoroughly enjoy our exchanges.