56.1k views
5 votes
Read these lines from Emily Dickinson's poem "712"("Because I could not stop for Death"):

Because is could not stop for Death -
He kindly stopped for me -
The carriage held but just Ourselves-
And immortality.

What is the rhyme scheme here?

A. abcb
B. abca
C. aabb
D. abcd
(apex)

1 Answer

2 votes

Answer:

A. abcb

Step-by-step explanation:

Read the poem out loud, paying particular attention the the last sounds of every line. Rhyming words sometimes look alike, but it's the sound that matters.

Death pronounced: deth

me pronounced: meee

selves pronounced: selvz "elvz" and "eth" are not similar.

ty pronounced: teeee Also has "eeee" sound like line 2.

To write the scheme, answer 'Does this line's last sound rhyme with anything above it?"

If no, continue with the alphabet.

If yes, take the letter from the line it rhymes with.

Line 1 No (nothing is above it)

"a"

Line 2 No (not above)

"b"

Line 3 No

"c"

Line 4 Yes, Line 2!

"b"

The rhyming scheme is abdb.

User Dshiz
by
4.5k points