Shakespeare, who has been known as the greatest playwright and poet in the English language, has captivated audiences with his huge amount of quality work that delves into the complexities of human emotion. Today, we will step into the Shakespearean sonnet rhyme scheme, where we demystify the art behind his signature masterpieces.
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Understanding Shakespearean Sonnet Rhyme Scheme
Shakespearean sonnets follow a specific structure both in terms of rhyme and thematic content. Its signature structure comprises fourteen lines, dividing the sonnet into three quatrains and a concluding rhymed couplet.
- Quatrain 1 (ABAB): alternating rhymes
- Quatrain 2 (CDCD): new rhymes
- Quatrain 3 (EFEF): another set of rhymes
- Quatrain 4 (GG): concluding lines
Examples of Shakespearean Sonnet Rhyme Scheme
Sonnet 130 by Shakespeare
My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun (A)
Coral is far more red than her lips’ red; (B)
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; (A)
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. (B)
I have seen roses damasked, red and white, (C)
But no such roses see I in her cheeks; (D)
And in some perfumes is there more delight (C)
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. (D)
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know (E)
That music hath a far more pleasing sound; (F)
I grant I never saw a goddess go, (E)
My mistress when she walks treads on the ground: (F)
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare, (G)
As any she belied with false compare. (G)
Sonnet 116 by Shakespeare
Let me not to the marriage of true minds (A)
Admit impediments. Love is not love (B)
Which alters when it alteration finds, (A)
Or bends with the remover to remove: (B)
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark (C)
That looks on tempests and is never shaken; (D)
It is the star to every wandering bark, (C)
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken. (D)
Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks (E)
Within his bending sickle’s compass come: (F)
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, (E)
But bears it out even to the edge of doom. (F)
If this be error and upon me proved, (G)
I never writ, nor no man ever loved. (G)
Key Takeaways
Whether exploring the heights of love or the depths of longing, the Shakespearean Sonnet remains a timeless form, keeping audiences captivated by not only the structure, and the musicality but also the lyrical architecture that elevates poetry to a higher place. As we conclude our journey through the world of Shakespeare, we hope it has set some fire to your love of language or inspired you to be more creative in poem crafting.