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Where art thou, Muse, that thou forget'st so long

To speak of that which gives thee all thy might?
Spend'st thou thy fury on some worthless song,
Darkening thy power to lend base subjects light?

Return, forgetful Muse, and straight redeem
In gentle numbers time so idly spent;
Sing to the ear that doth thy lays esteem
And gives thy pen both skill and argument.

Rise, resty Muse, my love's sweet face survey,
If Time have any wrinkle graven there;
If any, be a satire to decay,
And make Time's spoils despised every where.

Give my love fame faster than Time wastes life;
So thou prevent'st his scythe and crooked knife.

—“Sonnet 100,”
William Shakespeare

Which elements qualify this poem as a Shakespearean sonnet? Check all that apply.

three quatrains and one couplet
lines of poetry with five metrical feet
abba, cddc, effe, gg rhyme scheme
rhyming sounds at the beginning of lines
unstressed and stressed syllable groups

1 answer

The poem "Sonnet 100" by William Shakespeare can be identified as a Shakespearean sonnet based on the following elements:

  1. Three quatrains and one couplet - A Shakespearean sonnet typically consists of three quatrains followed by a final couplet.

  2. Lines of poetry with five metrical feet - Shakespearean sonnets are usually written in iambic pentameter, which means each line generally has five metrical feet.

  3. Rhyme scheme - The correct rhyme scheme for a Shakespearean sonnet is typically abab, cdcd, efef, gg. The scheme presented (abba, cddc, effe, gg) does not fit the traditional pattern, so this should not be checked.

  4. Rhyming sounds at the beginning of lines - This is not a standard feature of a Shakespearean sonnet.

  5. Unstressed and stressed syllable groups - This relates to the use of iambic meter, which involves alternating unstressed and stressed syllables in the lines.

Based on this analysis, the elements that qualify this poem as a Shakespearean sonnet are:

  • Three quatrains and one couplet
  • Lines of poetry with five metrical feet
  • Unstressed and stressed syllable groups

The third option with the specific rhyme scheme provided is not accurate for this sonnet.