Question

The rhyme scheme of Shakespearean sonnet is:

• A. ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG
• B. ABAB, BCBC, CDCD, EE
• C. ABBA, CDDC, EFFE, GG
• D. ABACABAC, DEFDEF

Hint:

Shakespearean sonnet has three quatrains and a final couplet: \(ABAB\ CDCD\ EFEF\ GG\).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1 : Understanding the Question:
This question asks us to identify the standard rhyme scheme associated with a Shakespearean sonnet, also known as the English sonnet.

Step 2 : Key Formulas and Approach:
The approach involves analyzing the structural conventions of the Elizabethan sonnet form. We break down the fourteen-line poem into its constituent stanzas (three quatrains and a final couplet) and track how the end-rhymes are arranged line-by-line.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
$\bullet$ A Shakespearean sonnet consists of exactly fourteen lines, typically written in iambic pentameter.
$\bullet$ The structure is divided into three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and one heroic couplet (a two-line stanza) at the end.
$\bullet$ The first quatrain has an alternating rhyme scheme: ABAB.
$\bullet$ The second quatrain introduces new rhymes in an alternating pattern: CDCD.
$\bullet$ The third quatrain follows with another set of alternating rhymes: EFEF.
$\bullet$ The sonnet concludes with a rhyming couplet, which uses a final pair of rhyming sounds: GG. This couplet often provides a summarizing resolution or a dramatic turn (volta) to the poem's argument.
$\bullet$ Combining these elements results in the overall rhyme scheme: ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG.

Step 4 : Final Answer:
Therefore, the standard rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet is ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG, corresponding to option (A).
The correct option is (A) ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG.