Rhyme scheme of the poem “Sonnet 18”.
William Shakespeare’s (1564-1616) “Sonnet 18” (1609) is one of the most famous poems in English literature. It praises the beauty of the poet's beloved. Shakespeare uses a lovely structure and rhyme to make the poem musical and memorable. The rhyme scheme of the poem is a key part of its charm.
The rhyme scheme follows the pattern ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. This is called the Shakespearean sonnet form. The poem has 14 lines. The first 12 lines are divided into three quatrains. A quatrain is a group of four lines. The last two lines form a rhyming couplet.
In the first quatrain (ABAB), the rhyme is:
- day (A)
- temperate (B)
- May (A)
- date (B)
- shines (C)
- dimmed (D)
- declines (C)
- untrimmed (D)
- fade (E)
- ow'st (F)
- shade (E)
- grow'st (F)
- see (G)
- thee (G)
