Read the poem "Sonnet in Primary Colors” by Rita Dove.

Question

This is for the woman with one black wing
perched over her eyes: lovely Frida, erect
among parrots, in the stern petticoats of the peasant,
who painted herself a present—
wildflowers entwining the plaster corset
her spine resides in, that flaming pillar—
this priestess in the romance of mirrors.

Each night she lay down in pain and rose
to the celluloid butterflies of her Beloved Dead,
Lenin and Marx and Stalin arrayed at the footstead.
And rose to her easel, the hundred dogs panting
like children along the graveled walks of the garden, Diego’s
love a skull in the circular window
of the thumbprint searing her immutable brow.

What structural element is apparent in this poem?

repeating lines
rhyme scheme
regular meter
stanzas

Answer 1

The structural element that is apparent in Rita Dove's poem "Sonnet in Primary Colors" is the rhyme scheme. The poem is structured as a sonnet, which typically follows a specific rhyme scheme. In this case, it adheres to the conventions of a sonnet while also incorporating vivid imagery and thematic elements related to Frida Kahlo.

Answer 2

Looking at "Sonnet in Primary Colors" by Rita Dove, the key structural element is the rhyme scheme. While it's a modern take on the sonnet form, you can identify rhyming patterns throughout the poem, such as "eyes/resides" and "mirror/pillar." The poem also contains internal rhymes and near-rhymes that create musical effects while not strictly following traditional sonnet rhyme schemes.

The other options listed don't fit as well:
- Repeating lines: The poem doesn't use refrains or repeated lines
- Regular meter: While there is some rhythmic quality, it doesn't follow a strict metrical pattern
- Stanzas: The poem flows as one continuous piece rather than being divided into distinct stanzas

Would you like to explore how Dove uses this rhyme scheme to enhance the poem's portrayal of Frida Kahlo?