Student Question

What are the uses of rhyme scheme in Sonnet 130?

Quick answer:

The rhyme scheme of "Sonnet 130" follows the traditional Shakespearean sonnet form: three quatrains with an alternating rhyme scheme (abab cdcd efef) followed by a rhyming couplet (gg). This structure allows the poet to develop contrasting ideas in the quatrains and then resolve them in the couplet. In this sonnet, the rhyme scheme emphasizes the realistic depiction of the mistress, challenging conventional poetic comparisons and concluding with an affirmation of true love.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

Though the sonnet has taken slightly different forms over the centuries, all English (Shakespearean) sonnets, including 130, follow an identical rhyme scheme: three alternately rhyming quatrains (a-b-a-b) followed by a single rhyming couplet (a-a), for a total of 14 lines. Identifying these lines in the actual poem we have:

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 damask'd, 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)

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Approved by eNotes Editorial