Question

What is the rhyming scheme for Sonnet 43 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning?

Answer 1

ABBA, ABBA, CD, CD, CD

Explanation:

The first eight lines (octave) has followed the pattern of Petrarchan Sonnet's rhyme scheme of Octave section, that is, ABBA ABBA. For example, the last word "ways" matches "grace" of the fourth line while the words "height" and "sight" of the second and the third lines respectively rhyme with each other.

Unlike a Petrarchan sonnet's sestet (CDE, CDE / CDC, CDC /CDE, DCE), this poem's sestet has quite a different rhyme scheme- CD, CD, CD. For instances, the words "use", "lose" and "choose" of the 9th, 11th and 13th lines respectively rhyme together. On the contrary, the words "faith", "breath" and "death" of the 10th, 12th and 14th lines sounds with the same rhythm.