ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -The variation of the sonnet form that Shakespeare used-comprised of three quatrains and a concluding couplet, rhyming abab cdcd efef gg-is called the English or Shakespearean sonnet form, although others had used it before him.

Detailed explanation-2: -First quatrain: This should establish the subject of the sonnet. Second quatrain: This should develop the sonnet’s theme. Third quatrain: This should round off the sonnet’s theme.

Detailed explanation-3: -These sonnets are sometimes referred to as Elizabethan sonnets or English sonnets. They have 14 lines divided into 4 subgroups: 3 quatrains and a couplet. Each line is typically ten syllables, phrased in iambic pentameter. A Shakespearean sonnet employs the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.

Detailed explanation-4: -There are two quatrains (groups of four lines), followed by a third quatrain in which the tone of the poem shifts a bit, which is in turn followed by a rhyming couplet (two lines) that wraps the poem up. The rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.

Detailed explanation-5: -In the Shakespearean or English sonnet, each line is 10 syllables long written in iambic pentameter. The structure can be divided into three quatrains (four-line stanzas) plus a final rhyming couplet (two-line stanza). The Shakespearean sonnet rhyme scheme is abab cdcd efef gg.