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In what way does "1, Being Born a Woman and Distressed" follow the

conventions of a traditional sonnet?

User Glstunna
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1 Answer

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26 votes

Final answer:

The poem follows traditional sonnet conventions with its fourteen lines divided into an octave with a rhyme scheme A B B A-A B B A and a varying sextet, with the volta marking a shift in thought between these two sections.

Step-by-step explanation:

The poem "1, Being Born a Woman and Distressed" follows the conventions of a traditional sonnet in a couple of key ways. Firstly, a traditional sonnet contains fourteen lines and includes a volta, or a turn in thought, which signifies a shift in the poem's subject or approach. This poem has two stanzas: an octave with a rhyme scheme of A B B A-A B B A, and a sextet whose rhyme scheme can vary. The volta occurs between the octave and the sextet, marking the transition from one thought or theme to another.

In the context of the sonnet tradition, there are variants like the Italian (or Petrarchan) sonnet, as seen in Robert Frost's "Design," which uses an abba abba rhyme scheme for the octave. Similarly, the Shakespearian sonnet, differs slightly in its structure and rhyme scheme, being composed of three quatrains followed by a couplet, with a rhyme scheme of abab cdcd efef gg. Although contemporary poets may experiment with these conventions, the use of rhyme, rhythm, and a volta remains central to the sonnet form.

User Momro
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