Woman's Constancy

by John Donne

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Student Question

What is the rhyme scheme of John Donne's "Woman's Constancy"?

Quick answer:

The rhyme scheme of John Donne's "Woman's Constancy" begins with a/a/b/b for the first four lines, then shifts to an unrhymed section with a pattern of c/d/e/f/g/h. Line 11 rhymes with line 8, both labeled "f." The poem concludes with rhyming couplets i/i/j/j/i/i, creating an overall pattern of a/a/b/b/c/d/e/f/g/h/f/i/i/j/j/i/i. This disrupted scheme reflects the theme of lovers' inconsistency.

Expert Answers

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The rhyme scheme in John Donne's "Woman's Constancy" changes in the middle of the poem. The first two couplets rhyme (the lines ending with "day" and "say" and "vow and "now"). The rhyme scheme of the first four lines is a/a/b/b. The scheme then changes with the line that begins "We are not." There are no rhymes for the next six lines, so the rhyme scheme is c/d/e/f/g/h. Then, the line ending in "justify" (line 11) rhymes with line line 8, which ends with "untie," so this line can also be classified as "f." Starting in line 12, which begins with "For having," the poem returns to rhyming couplets, which end with "you," "true," "could," "would," "do," and "too." These last six lines have the rhyme scheme i/i/j/j/i/i, as "do" and "too" rhyme with "you" and "true." Therefore, the rhyme scheme for the whole poem is a/a/b/b/c/d/e/f/g/h/f/i/i/j/j/i/i. The disruption in the rhyme scheme is symbolic of the lovers' lack of constancy. 

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