Rhyme Scheme

Fb Group:English Department All Universities Of Bangladesh
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rhyme Scheme
A rhyme scheme is the pattern of sounds that repeats at the end of a
line or stanza. Rhyme schemes can change line by line, stanza by
stanza, or can continue throughout a poem. Poems with rhyme
schemes are generally written in formal verse, which has a strict
meter: a repeating pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.
Rhyme scheme patterns are formatted in different ways. The

patterns are encoded by letters of the alphabet. Lines designated
with the same letter rhyme with each other. For example, the rhyme
scheme ABAB means the first and third lines of a stanza, or the “A”s,
rhyme with each other, and the second line rhymes with the fourth l
ine, or the “B”s rhyme together.
বেশিরভাগ সময়ে রাইম শিম কশেতাগুয় া Lyric/sonnet হে।
Important poems for Rhyme scheme:

 My mistress eyes –abab cdcd efef gg. Shakespearian
 London-abab
 London 1802=abba abba cdd ece
 She dwelt among the untrodden ways-abab
 To daffodils-abcbddceae
 Lullaby-ababaabc
 Stooping by woods-aababbcb cede dddd
 Ozymandias –ababa cdcedefef
 When you are old-abba cddc effe
 On his blindness –abba abba cde cde
 The Good Morrow-abab ccc
 I Wandered lonely as a Cloud-ababcc
 To Autumn-abab cde cdde
 The Patriot-ababa
 The piano-aa bb cc dd ee ff gg
 How do I love Thee-abba abba cdcdcd
 এই কবিতাগুল ার বিম কবিতা সামলে ররলে বমব লে পড়ল ভাল া হলি।
1
Prepared by:Tahmid Hossain
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How to write a rhyme scheme in

your examination.
Example in the poem,How do I love Thee”

Style of Petrarchan Sonnet(Octave+sestet)

stanza, or can continue throughout a poem.
The poem “poem’s name” is lyric/Sonnet …………It is written in

Petrarchan/English sonnet.So the rhyme scheme of this poem’s is
abba abba………… It has……….stanzas +……..(Every stanza’s patterns
are same.)The poem is written in ……(meter/foot) iambic
pentameter.
“How do I love Thee” is a petrachan sonnet.This sonnet is divided

into two parts : octave and sestet.In the poem,the rhyme scheme of
the octave is –abba abba
 How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. -a

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height -b
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight-b
For the ends of being and ideal grace.-a
I love thee to the level of every day’s-a
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.-b
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.-b
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.-a
In the octave, line one (ways) rhymes with lines four (grace), five
(everyday's) and eight (praise). Line two (height) rhymes with line
three (sight), line six (candlelight) and seven (Right). So, the rhyme
scheme of the octave is abba abba.
2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The rhyme scheme of the sestet is –cdcdcd
I love thee with the passion put to use - c

In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith. –d
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose-c
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath, -d
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, -c
I shall but love thee better after death.-d
In the sestet, line one (use) rhymes with three (lose) and line five
(choose). Line two (faith) rhymes with line four (breath) and six
(death). So, the rhyme scheme of the sestet is cdcdcd. The rhyme
scheme of the poem is connected to the form of the poem. The
rhyme scheme, abba abba cdcdcd, makes the poem
Petrarchan sonnet.
এটা বেয়হতু Petrarchan sonnet এ ব খা তাই এই শিেয়ম আয়রা

কয়েকটট কশেতা ব খা োে।তয়ে এই সয়িট sestet অংয়ি একটু
পশরের্ত্ন হয়ত পায়র ।বেমি রাইম শিম cdcdcd ো cde cde /cddcee
হলি।এই সলেলে আলরা গুরুতিপূর্ কবিতাগুল
ণ া হল াোঃ
 London,1802 –Willam wordworth

 Death Be not proud-John Donne
 How do I love Thee
 On His Blindness-John Milton
3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Style of Shakespearian/English Sonnet
(3 Quatrain+1 couplet)

stanza, or can continue throughout a poem.
The poem “poem’s name” is lyric/Sonnet …………It is written in

Petrarchan/English sonnet.So the rhyme scheme of this poem’s is
………… It has……….stanzas.(Every stanza’s patterns are same.)The
poem is written in ……(meter/foot) iambic pentameter. “My
Mistress Eyes/………………” is a shakespearian Sonnet.This sonnet is
divided into three quatrains (stanzas of four lines) and a final
couplet. The rhyme scheme of the first quatrain is abab.
Abab cdcd efef gg
My Mistress Eyes-Willam Shakespeare
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; -a
Coral is far more red than her lips' red; -b
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; -a
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. -b
Here,lines one and three (sun and dun), and lines two and four (red
and head) rhyme with each other. The rhyme scheme of the second
quatrain is different from that of the first quatrain.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white, -c

But no such roses see I in her ceeks; -d
And in some perfumes is there more delight heet -c
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.-d
4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the second quatrain, lines five and seven (white and delight)
rhyme, and lines six and eight (cheeks and reeks) rhyme with
each other. So the rhyme scheme of the quatrain is cdcd. The
rhyme scheme of the third quatrain is different from those of
the first and second quatrains.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know -e

That music hath a far more pleasing sound; -f
I grant I never saw a goddess go; -e
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground. -f
Here line nine (know) rhymes with the line eleven (go)
and line ten (sound) rhymes with line twelve (ground).
So, the rhyme scheme of the third quatrain is efef. The
sonnet ends with two rhyming lines (rare and compare).
It is gg.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare -g

As any she belied with false compare. g
So, the rhyme scheme of the poem is abab cdcd efef gg.
The three quatrains of the poem establish an idea that
the speaker's mistress is less beautiful than different
objects of nature. But the closing couplet presents a
surprising ending as the speaker declares that his
mistress is as extraordinary as any beloved described
with false comparisons.
5
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stanza অেুযাবে রাইম বিম ব েলত হে।এক Stanza রেষ হল েতু ে
কলর রাইম বিম করলত হে।
I Wandered lonely as a cloud

Willam Wordsworth
I wandered lonely as a cloud-a
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,-b
When all at once I saw a crowd,-a
A host, of golden daffodils;-b
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,-c
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.-c
Continuous as the stars that shine -a

And twinkle on the milky way,-b
They stretched in never-ending line-a
Along the margin of a bay:-b
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,-c
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.-c
The waves beside them danced; but they-a

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:-b
A poet could not but be gay,-a
In such a jocund company:-b
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought-c
What wealth the show to me had brought:-c
For oft, when on my couch I lie-a

In vacant or in pensive mood,-b
They flash upon that inward eye-a
Which is the bliss of solitude;-b
And then my heart with pleasure fills,-c
And dances with the daffodils.-c
এখায়ি সেগু া stanza এর রাইম শিম হয়ে –ababcc

6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Daffodils lyric
BY ROBERT HE RRI CK
Fair Daffodils, we weep to see-a

You haste away so soon;-b
As yet the early-rising sun-c
Has not attain'd his noon.-b
Stay, stay,-d
Until the hasting day-d
Has run-c
But to the even-song;-e
And, having pray'd together, we-a
Will go with you along.-e
The Rhyme scheme of the 1st stanza is-abcbddceae
We have short time to stay, as you,-a

We have as short a spring;-b
As quick a growth to meet decay,-c
As you, or anything.-b
We die-d
As your hours do, and dry-d
Away,-c
Like to the summer's rain;-e
Or as the pearls of morning's dew,-a
Ne'er to be found again.-e
abcbddceae
The Rhyme scheme of the 2nd stanza is same.
7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sonnet 19: On His Blindness

BY JOHN MI LTON
When I consider how my light is spent, -a

Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,-b
And that one Talent which is death to hide -b
Lodged with me useless, though my Soul more bent-a
To serve therewith my Maker, and present-a
My true account, lest he returning chide;-b
“Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?”-b
I fondly ask. But patience, to prevent-a
The rhyme scheme of the octave is –abba abba
That murmur, soon replies, “God doth not need-c

Either man’s work or his own gifts; who best-d
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state-d
Is Kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed-c
And post o’er Land and Ocean without rest:-d
They also serve who only stand and wait.”-d
The Rhyme scheme of the sestet is –cdd cdd
8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On His Blindness
Write the rhyme scheme of the poem.
stanza, or can continue throughout a poem.‘On His Blindness” is a
Sonnet .It is written in petrarchan sonnet .This sonnet is divided
into two parts : octave and sestet.The rhyme scheme of the poem is
abba abba cddcdd .
In the poem,the rhyme scheme of the octave is –abba abba.In the

octave, line one (Spent) rhymes with lines four (……….), five
(…………) and eight (…………). Line two (……….) rhymes with line three
(……….), line six (………..) and seven (………..). So, the rhyme scheme of
the octave is abba abba.
The rhyme scheme of the sestet is –cdd cdd.In the sestet, line one
(need) rhymes with four (speed).Line two (…………) rhymes with
line three (………..) ,line five (…….)and six (…………). So, the rhyme
scheme of the sestet is cddcdd. The rhyme scheme of the poem is
connected to the form of the poem. The rhyme scheme, abba abba
cdd cdd, makes the poem Petrarchan sonnet.
9
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a

summer’s day?
BY WI LLIAM SH AKES PE ARE
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?-a

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:-b
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,-a
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;-b
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,-c

And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;-d
And every fair from fair sometime declines,-c
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;-d
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,-e

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;-f
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,-e
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:-f
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,-g

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.-g
10
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rhyme Scheme:
A rhyme scheme is the pattern of sounds that repeats at the end
of a line or stanza. Rhyme schemes can change line by line,
stanza by stanza, or can continue throughout a poem.‘Shall I
Comnpare thee to a Summers Day” is a Sonnet .It is written in
Shakespearian sonnet . This sonnet is divided into three
quatrains (stanzas of four lines) and a final couplet.The Rhyme
scheme of the poem is abab cdcd efef gg.
The rhyme scheme of the first quatrain is abab.Here,lines one

and three ( day and May..), and lines two and four
(……..and………) rhyme with each other. The rhyme scheme of
the second quatrain is different from that of the first
quatrain.In the second quatrain, lines five and seven
(………and………..) rhyme, and lines six and eight (………..and
reek………) rhyme with each other. So the rhyme scheme of the
quatrain is cdcd. The rhyme scheme of the third quatrain is
different from those of the first and second quatrains.Here line
nine (…….) rhymes with the line eleven (…….) and line ten
(……..) rhymes with line twelve (……….). So, the rhyme scheme of
the third quatrain is efef. The sonnet ends with a couplet two
rhyming lines (……..and………). It is gg.
So, the rhyme scheme of the poem is abab cdcd efef gg. The
three quatrains of the poem establish an idea that the speaker's
compare the beauty of his friend with the summer season.But
the closing couplet presents a surprising ending as the speaker
declares that his friends beauty will be everlasting by reading
his poems.
11
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Good-Morrow
BY JOHN D ONNE
I wonder, by my troth, what thou and I-a

Did, till we loved? Were we not weaned till then?-b
But sucked on country pleasures, childishly?-a
Or snorted we in the Seven Sleepers’ den?-b
’Twas so; but this, all pleasures fancies be.-c
If ever any beauty I did see,-c
Which I desired, and got, ’twas but a dream of thee.-c
And now good-morrow to our waking souls,-a

Which watch not one another out of fear;-b
For love, all love of other sights controls,-a
And makes one little room an everywhere.-b
Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone,-c
Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown,-c
Let us possess one world, each hath one, and is one.-c
My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears,-a

And true plain hearts do in the faces rest;-b
Where can we find two better hemispheres,-a
Without sharp north, without declining west?-b
Whatever dies, was not mixed equally;-c
If our two loves be one, or, thou and I-c
Love so alike, that none do slacken, none can die.-c
12
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rhyme Scheme

stanza by stanza, or can continue throughout a poem. “The
Good Morrow” is a Lyric . The rhyme scheme of the poem is
ababccc. There are three stanzas in the poem. Each stanza is of
seven lines.Every stanza,s rhyme schene is same.
In the first stanza, line one (…………) rhymes with line three
(……………),line two (…………) and four (………..) rhymes with each
other and line five(……….)rhymes with line six(………..) and line
seven(……………..)
In the seceond stanza, line one (…………) rhymes with line three
seven(……………..)
In the third stanza, line one (…………) rhymes with line three
seven(……………..).So the Rhyme scheme of the poem is ababccc.
13
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
She Dwelt among the Untrodden Ways

BY WI LLIAM W ORDS WORTH
She dwelt among the untrodden ways-a

Beside the springs of Dove,-b
A Maid whom there were none to praise-a
And very few to love:-b
A violet by a mossy ston-a

Half hidden from the eye!-b
—Fair as a star, when only one-a
Is shining in the sky.-b
She lived unknown, and few could know-a

When Lucy ceased to be;-b
But she is in her grave, and, oh,-a
The difference to me!-b
Rhyme Scheme:
stanza by stanza, or can continue throughout a poem.‘She Dwelt
among thr Untrooden Ways” is a Lyric . The rhyme scheme of
the poem is abab. There are three stanzas in the poem. Each
stanza is of four lines.
In the first stanza, line one (ways) rhymes with line three
(praise), and line two (Dove) and four (love) rhymes with each
other. In the second stanza, line one (stone) rhymes with line
three (one), and line two (eye) and four (sky) rhyme with each
other. In the final stanza, line one (know) rhymes with line
three (oh); and line two (be) and four (me) rhyme with each
other
14
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Piano
Softly, in the dusk, a woman is singing to me;-a
Taking me back down the vista of years, till I see-a
A child sitting under the piano, in the boom of the tingling strings-b
And pressing the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles as she
sings.-b
In spite of myself, the insidious mastery of song -a

Betrays me back, till the heart of me weeps to belong-a
To the old Sunday evenings at home, with winter outside -b
And hymns in the cosy parlour, the tinkling piano our guide.-b
So now it is vain for the singer to burst into clamour-a

With the great black piano appassionato. The glamour-a
Of childish days is upon me, my manhood is cast-b
Down in the flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past.-b
15
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When You Are Old
Launch Audio in a New Window
BY WILLIA M BUT LER YEAT S
When you are old and grey and full of sleep, -a

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,-b
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look-b
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;-a
How many loved your moments of glad grace,-c

And loved your beauty with love false or true,-d
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,-d
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;-c
And bending down beside the glowing bars,e

Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled-f
And paced upon the mountains overhead -f
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.-e
16
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ozymandias
BY P ERCY BY SSHE SH E LLE Y
I met a traveller from an antique land,-a

Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone-b
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,-a
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,-b
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,-a
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read-c
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,-d
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;-c
And on the pedestal, these words appear:-e

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;-d
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!-e
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay-f
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare-e
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”-f
17
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
BY ROBER T FR OST
Whose woods these are I think I know. -a

His house is in the village though; -a
He will not see me stopping here -b
To watch his woods fill up with snow. -a
My little horse must think it queer -b

To stop without a farmhouse near -b
Between the woods and frozen lake -c
The darkest evening of the year. -b
He gives his harness bells a shake-c

To ask if there is some mistake. -c
The only other sound’s the sweep-d
Of easy wind and downy flake.-c
The woods are lovely, dark and deep, -d

But I have promises to keep, d
And miles to go before I sleep, -d
And miles to go before I sleep.-d
18
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
from The Princess: Sweet and Low
BY A LFR E D, LORD TENNY SON
Sweet and low, sweet and low,-a

Wind of the western sea,-b
Low, low, breathe and blow,-a
Wind of the western sea!-b
Over the rolling waters go,-a
Come from the dying moon, and blow,-a
Blow him again to me;-b
While my little one, while my pretty one, sleeps.-c
Sleep and rest, sleep and rest,-a

Father will come to thee soon;-b
Rest, rest, on mother's breast,-a
Father will come to thee soon;-b
Father will come to his babe in the nest,-a
Silver sails all out of the west-a
Under the silver moon:-b
Sleep, my little one, sleep, my pretty one, sleep.-c
19
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Garden of Love

BY WILLIA M B LA KE
I went to the Garden of Love,-a

And saw what I never had seen:-b
A Chapel was built in the midst,-c
Where I used to play on the green.-b
And the gates of this Chapel were shut,-a

And 'Thou shalt not' writ over the door;-b
So I turn'd to the Garden of Love,-c
That so many sweet flowers bore. -b
And I saw it was filled with graves,a

And tomb-stones where flowers should be:-b
And Priests in black gowns, were walking their rounds,-c
And binding with briars, my joys & desires.-d
20
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Song: “Blow, blow, thou winter wind”
BY WILLIA M SHA KE SP EARE
Blow, blow, thou winter wind,-a

Thou art not so unkind-a
As man’s ingratitude;-b
Thy tooth is not so keen,-c
Because thou art not seen,-c
Although thy breath be rude.-b
Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:-d
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:-d
Then, heigh-ho, the holly!-d
This life is most jolly.-d
Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,-a

That dost not bite so nigh-a
As benefits forgot:-b
Though thou the waters warp,-c
Thy sting is not so sharp-c
As friend remembered not.-b
Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly...-d
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:-d
Then, heigh-ho, the holly!-d
This life is most jolly.-d
21
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Holy Sonnets: Death, be not proud
BY JOHN DONNE
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.
22
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Discuss the three stages of Chaucer's poetic development.

Or, Give a brief survey of the career of Chaucer as a poet
. Or, Write a note on Chaucer's contribution to English
Literature in three phases.
Ans:Geoffrey Chaucer is one of the greatest poets in England. He

is known to be the father of English poetry. This does not mean
that there was no poet or poetry in England before him. There
were other poets also in his time. But their poetry is little read
and enjoyed. But the poetry of Chaucer is famous all over the
world. According to John Dryden -"Chaucer is the father of
English poetry. "Because he is the first English poet to writs in a
style of language which is readily recognizable today. He wrote
many famous poems that are now spread all over the world.
★The poetic career of Chaucer was divided into three periods.

These three periods are the French, Italian, and English.
The first period:

In his first period, he was influenced by French literature. His
poems are modeled upon the French originals. Some important
poems of this period are-
*The Boke of Blanche the Duchesse,

*The Romance of the Rose,
23
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Compleynt into City,
*The ABC,
*Queen Anelida
*Complete of Mars.
The Romaunt of the Rose, the translation of a French poem.

Perhaps the best poem of this period is the Death of Blanche,
the Duchess. It is a poem of considerable dramatic and
emotional power, written after the death of Blanche, wife of
Chaucer's patron, John of Gaunt.
The second period:

In his second period, he was influenced by Italian literature.
Petrarch, Boccaccio, and Dante, these 3 poets influenced him
deeply. The Italian period of Chaucer's poetic career suggests
his profound and serious study of the Italian masters
His main poems of this period are
*The Parliament of Fowls,

*The House of Fame,
*The Legend of Good Women.
*Anelida and Arcite,
*Troillus and Criseyde.
24
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The chief work of the second or Italian period is Troilus and
Criseyde, a poem of 8000 lines. The immediate source of
Chaucer's poem is Boccaccio's II Filostrato. But he uses his
material very freely to reflect the ideals of his own age and
society. The House of Fame, one of Chaucer's unfinished poems
belongs to this period. It has the rare combination of lofty
thought and simple homely language. The great poem of the
Italian period is the Legend of Good Women. Chaucer wrote
nine legends of which Thisbe is perhaps the best.
★The third period:
In his third period, he was influenced by English literature. It

was his most important period because his masterpiece" The
Canterbury Tales", one of the greatest poems in literature was
written. Some of the important poems of this period are-
*The Canterbury Tales,

*Complaint to His Empty Purse,
*Truth or Good Counsel.
Chucer's crowning achievement in this period is the Canterbury

Tales. He began this ambitious literary project probably in
1387. He continued to work on it till his death but could not
finish it. It is an original work and breathes the spirit of
contemporary English life. The general idea of the Canterbury
Tales is derived from Boccaccio's Decameron. In the
25
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Canterbury Tales he has been able to give us a picture of
contemporary English life, its work and play, its deeds and
dreams, its fun and sympathy and hearty joy of living. The
Canterbury Tales covers a wide range of stories including
stories of love and chivalry,of saints and legends, travels,
adventures, beast fable, allegory, satires and the coarse
humour of the common people.
To sum up, we can say that each period of Chaucer's poetic

career is significant. It helps us greatly to understand his
complete poetical works. This period gave us a great number of
his works.
Question: Why is Chaucer called the father of

English poetry? Or, Evaluate Chaucer's
contribution to the development of English poetry.
Answer:
Geoffrey Chaucer is one of the greatest poets in England. He is
known to be the father of English poetry. This does not mean
that there was no poet or poetry in England before him. There
was other poets also in his time. But there poetry is little read
and enjoyed. But the poetry of Chaucer is famous all over the
world. According to John Dryden -"Chaucer is the father of
English poetry."
26
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
★There are three reasons to call him the father of English
poetry. These reasons are-
I) Contribution to the development of English poetry

II) Use of Variation and Style in English poetry.
III) Contribution to the development of English language in
poetry.
1.Contribution to the development of English poetry:-
Chaucer is called the father of English poetry because of his

contribution to the English poetry. He wrote many famous
poems which is now spread in all over the world.
In his first period he was influenced by French literature. His

poems are modelled upon the French originals. Some
important poems of this period are-
*The Romance of the Rose,

*Compleynt into Rity,
*The ABC
In his second period, he was influenced by Italian literature.

Petrarch, Boccaccio and Dante, these 3 poets influenced him
deeply. His main poems of this period are
27
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*The Parliament of Fowls,

*The House of Fame,
*The Legend of Good Women.
In his third period, he was influenced by English literature. It

was his most important period because his masterpiece "The
Canterbury Tales", one of the greatest poems in all literature
was written. Some of the important poems of this period are-
*The Canterbury Tales,

*Complaint to His Empty Purse,
*Truth or Good Councel.
2. Use of Variation and Style in English poetry:.

His variation and style in poetry are described below:
*Chaucer's heroic couplet :
Chaucer is the originator of heroic couplet and uses it widely in

The Canterbury Tales. Afterwards John Dryden and Alexander
Pope perfected the heroic couplet to a great extent.
28
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Chaucerian Stanza:
Chaucer was the first poet who introduced a stanza of seven
lines having octosyllabic metre. Its rhyme scheme is aba bb cc.
This type of stanza is now known as known a Chaucerian
stanza.
*Realistic poet:
the Age of Chaucer most t of the poets used to compose
allegorical poetry which had almost no relationship with the
reality of the time. Chaucer realized that any piece of literature
must deal with real life. The Canterbury Tales deals
directly with life as it was in his age.
*Humoristic poet:
Chaucer is the first humorist of English literature. As most of
the Middle English poems and prose works are based on
religious, and didactic materials or love and chivalry, there is
no element of humour in those pieces. But Chaucer's gift of
humour and wit and the flash of his diverting irony have
breathed into his poetry. His poetry is famous for his use of wit,
satire and rude humor of the common people. Chaucer's poetry
enjoys the genre of story, drama novel, etc.
29
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Contribution to the development of the English language in
poetry:
Chaucer is called the father of the English language. Before

Chaucer, there was no national language in England. It was a
fashion and vogue of the time to use Latin and French languages
in any literary work but Chaucer refused to adopt these
languages for his poetry. He transformed the East Midland
dialect into a full-fledged language of England. By the force of
his genius, he raised it to the level of the national language.
Chaucer is the first great poet of England. Because he freed
himself from foreign influences. He used his own native English
language in poetry.
★Conclusion:
we may say that Chaucer nurtured English language and

literature as a father who carefully brought up his son. He gave
English language the dignity of the language of literature. He
brought realism in poetry and infused into it a comic element.
So we may rightly consider him the father of English poetry'.
30
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Hundred Years' War
Ans. The term the Hundred Years' War has been used by
historians since the beginning of the nineteenth century to
describe the long conflict between France and England from
1337 to 1453. It lasted about 116 years.
At the beginning of that war, France way the stronger thereby

countries. But the English won a great victory at sea in the
Battle of Sluys in 1340 which prevented France from invading
England. After that, the war was fought almost totally in France.
England won again at the Battle of Crécy in 1346. From 1348 to
1356 there was very little fighting because of the Black Death.
Then Edward, the Black Prince won the Battle of Poitiers for
England. King John II of France was captured during the battle.
The English invaded France again but were not able to take any
more cities.
The new king Charles V of France was more successful. The

Black Prince was busy at another war in Spain, and Edward III
was too old to lead an army again. So France allied with Castile
against England and Portugal. France won back many French
towns from the English during this time. A peace followed from
1389-1415.
In 1415, Henry V of England invaded France and won the Battle

of Agincourt with many bowmen. The queen of France, Isabeau
of Bavaria, married one of her daughters to Henry V and signed
the Treaty of Troyes to make Henry V the next king of France.
31
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The English continued to capture land in France until Joan of
Arc led the army to success at the Siege of Orleans and the
Battle of Patay in 1429, She regained many cities but she did
not recover Paris. She was convicted of heresy and burned at
the stake. After her death, the French continued to take back
territory, although more slowly. France had a diplomatic win in
1435 with the Treaty of Arras. Ultimately the long war stopped
for ever after 1450 .
The Canterbury Tales

 এই Canterbury Tales এর পরীকল্পনা যেভাবে হবেছিলঃ
 এই কছেতাটি শুরু হবেছিল Description of April মাধ্যবম।
 এই কছেতাটি ১৭ হাজার লাইবন যলখা হবেবি এেং ১৩৮৭ যেবক ১৪০০ সাল এর
মবধ্য এই কছেতাটি যলখা হবেবি।
 েখন Chaucer তীবে োত্রা
ে শুরু করছিবলা, তখন ছতছন Tabard Inn এ োবমন এেং
যেখবত পান যে অবনকগুবলা কম্পাছন একসাবে জব া হবেবি োর মবধ্য
অক্সব ার্ে পণ্ডিত যেবক শুরু কবর মাতাল ছমলার পেন্ত ে ইংবরজ সমাবজর সকল
যেণীর যলাক।
 ননশবভাবজ তাোর্ে ইবনর আনন্দমে যহাস্ট পরামশ যেন

ে যে, োত্রাবক আনন্দমে
করার জনয, যকাম্পাছনর প্রবতযকবক গল্প েলবত হবে েুটি োওোর সমে আর েুটি
আসার সমে। যহাস্ট তাবের সাবে আনুষ্ঠাছনকতার ছেচারক ছহসাবে ভ্রমণ করবে,
এেং োরা যসরা গল্প েলবে তার জনয সোর পক্ষ যেবক পাটিে যেওো হবে।
 The Canterbury Tales is Geoffrey Chaucer's most celebrated work

probably designed in 1387 and extending to 17000 lines in prose
and verse of various metres.
 The General Prologue describes the meeting of 29 pilgrims in the
Tabard Inn in Southwark.
 The poet also joined them.
32
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 The owner of the Tabard Inn proposed that the pilgrims should
make the journey interesting by telling four stories each, two on
the way to Canterbury and two on the way back.
 He also declared that he would accompany them and award a free
supper on their return to the teller of the best story.
 Chaucer could not complete the Canterbury Tales before his death.
 The work remains unfinished, only 23 pilgrims tell stories and
there are only 24 stories told altogether (Chaucer himself tells
two).
 In the scheme the stories are linked by narrative changes between
the pilgrims and by prologues and epilogues to the tales, but this
aspect of the work is also incomplete.
 Among the tales told by various pilgrims the most remarkable are
The Knight's Tale and The Nun's Priest's Tale. The Canterbury
Tales is really a great work.
 In the words of Edward Albert, "Even in its incomplete state the
work is a small literature in itself, an almost unmeasured
abundance and variety of humour and pathos, of narrative and
description and of dialogue and digression". It is a mirror to
contemporary life.
33
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chaucer
In general the character Chaucer, who narrates the frame story and tells
his own tales on the road to Canterbury, is considered separately from
Chaucer the author. He is a keen observer, providing detailed
descriptions of the other pilgrims. He has a flair for satire and
characterizes the pilgrims in unflattering ways while maintaining an
earnest, even admiring, tone.
Harry Bailey
The Host, Harry Bailey, is a cheerful and impulsive man. He is so taken
with the assembled pilgrims at the Tabard Inn that he decides to
accompany them. He is the one who suggests the storytelling contest and
sets the rules; he also plans to judge the stories and provide the winner's
reward. He is quick to make peace when a quarrel breaks out, and he
often steers the stories away from the overly somber and toward
merriment.
Knight
Chivalrous and wise, the Knight has achieved great honor for his noble
deeds and success in many battles. He is the ideal knight in every way:
courteous in his manners, heroic in battle, and polite and gentle in
speech. Chaucer describes the knight as if he has no flaws. He is not even
arrogant or proud because of his success; rather, he is modest and
humble,.
34
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miller
The Miller, a strong, brawny man with a large nose and wide mouth,
sports a red spade-shaped beard and a hairy wart. He loves telling filthy
stories and playing the bagpipes. He's also a thief—He hijacks the Host's
role as master of ceremonies simply because he wants to tell a rude
story about a carpenter.
Reeve
The Reeve is an old, frightening-looking man whose business is taking

care of another person's estate. He is good at his job; he keeps track of
the crops and the livestock so well that no one dares take a chance on
cheating—except the Reeve, of course, who uses the money he
embezzles to make loans back to his own employer. The Reeve is also a
carpenter, which explains his anger when the Miller tells a story about a
jealous, foolish carpenter.
Wife of Bath
The Wife of Bath is a middle-aged woman with a gap between her front
teeth, a large hat, and red stockings. She's no stranger to pilgrimages,
having gone on several. She's no stranger to sex, either, having had five
husbands and talking freely about her prowess in bed. As a successful
seamstress with her own business and as a woman who gets what she
wants from men, she's used to being in charge.
Pardoner
The Pardoner is a dishonest man who sells indulgences, which were
intended to take years off a person's stay in Purgatory, as well as various
items he says are saint's relics but are mostly fake—animal bones and
other substitutes for real bones or pieces of cloth. He is good at his job
but freely admits his only motive is profit.
35
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Character Information collected :Course Hero)
36
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Important 4 story in Canterbury Tales :

 Knight’s Tale
 Miller’s Tale
 Wife of Bath’s Tale
 Nun’s Priest Tale
What picture of 14th Century life and society do you find

in Chaucer's 'The Canterbury Tales'?
Or,How did Chaucer represent his age?
Answer:
Literature reflects the tendencies of an age. Here a literary artist,
through his literary work, becomes the mouthpiece of his age. Pope
represents the eighteenth century, the Age of Neoclassicism, Tennyson
to the Victorian era, and Wordsworth the Romantic age. Like
Wordsworth, Pope and Tennyson, Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400)
represent his own age through his authentic literary work The prologue
to The Canterbury Tales. His poetry reflects fourteenth-century England
not in fragments but as a complete whole.He presents the picture of the
corruption in the Church, the religious hypocrisy, woman, materialistic
outlook, political condition, trade, and so on.
★Political Condition of Chaucer's time

In the "Prologue to Canterbury Tales", Chaucer realistically presents the
political conditions of his times. He refers to the "Peasant's Revolt" of
1381 in the Clerk's Tale and again in the Nun's Priest's Tale. Another
important national event taking place in the Age was the "The Black
Death". The allusion to this event comes in Chaucer's character-sketch of
the Doctor of Physic.
37
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
★Religious Condition of Chaucer's Age

Through the ecclesiastical or religious characters in "The Canterbury
Tales," Chaucer represents a vivid picture of the condition of the church
and its ministers in his age. Instead of devoting their time and energy to
religious meditation, the clergymen have shown their love for money,
corruption and materialistic outlook. There are seven ecclesiastical
characters dealt with Chaucer in "The Canterbury Tales". Chaucer could
not tolerate the growing corruption, so he satirized them.
Medieval Chivalry:
Chaucer's England was predominantly medieval in spirit, and the most
outstanding feature of the Middle Age was chivalry and knighthood. In
"General Prologue" Chaucer reflects very clearly the chivalric spirit of
the medieval times. The fading chivalry of the Middle Age, represented
in the character of the Knight, and the rising chivalry of his times
reflected in his young son, the Squire. The Knight is a true representative
of the spirit of medieval chivalry which was a blend of love, religion, and
bravery. He has been a champion of fifteen mortal battles in the defence
of religion. The Squire is a lover and a lusty bachelor. He is singing and
fluting all day.
★Expansion of trade and rise of merchants:

For the first time in the history of England, the trade and merchants
section of society was coming in literature in the age of Chaucer. The
fourteenth century in England witnessed the rise of rich and prosperous
merchants and tradesmen. Chaucer represents five guildsmen,Small
traders and handicraftsmen grew into power and became solvent.
38
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
★Representation of the lower class :
Chaucer faithfully represents the voice of the lower class that they made
for better conditions of life. And he also represents the rise of the lower
classes. In the Clerk's Tale, Chaucer refers to the "stormy people", and
their untruthfulness and fickleness. The labourers clamored for their
rights.
★Condition of Table Manners

Chaucer also portrays the conditions of table manners of the pilgrims. In
the Prologue, we can see that inns were situated at some distances, and
beer was also served in places other than these inns. There is also a long
discussion on table manners of that age in the Prologue. Each guest
brought his own knife. At the beginning and end of dinner, everyone
washed his hands.
★Representation of the medical profession

Chaucer's portrait of the Doctor of Physic is fairly representative of a
medieval medicine man. Doctor of Physic practices herbal remedies.
Here his knowledge of astronomy and astrology is also traceable. He was
so busy in his profession that he had no time to read the Bible. Chaucer
rightly said, "His study was but litel on the Bible"
★Situation of Woman :
Chaucer represents the situation of a woman by The Wife of Bath.
Woman of 14th century was so much passionate and serious about love.
They were also hard-working. They were associated with household
chores and cloth making. They were a little bit shy and careful about
chastity. They were fond of fun and merry-making. That is revealed
through The Wife of Bath in Prologue to The Canterbury Tales.
39
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The prologue to The Canterbury Tales represents vivid socio-political

condition of 14th-century England in the age of Chaucer. Each of the
pilgrims of the prologue are from a different walk of life and they are
representative of different parts of society. So it can be said that Chaucer
is the chronicler of his age and reflects his century, not in fragments but
almost completely.
The prominent contemporary writers of Geoffrey Chaucer :
40

Rhyme Scheme

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Rhyme Scheme

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Rhyme Scheme

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Fb Group:English Department All Universities Of Bangladesh

Rhyme scheme patterns are formatted in different ways. The

বেশিরভাগ সময়ে রাইম শিম কশেতাগুয় া Lyric/sonnet হে।

Important poems for Rhyme scheme:

How to write a rhyme scheme in

Example in the poem,How do I love Thee”

A rhyme scheme is the pattern of sounds that repeats at the end of a

The poem “poem’s name” is lyric/Sonnet …………It is written in

“How do I love Thee” is a petrachan sonnet.This sonnet is divided

 How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. -a

I love thee with the passion put to use - c

এটা বেয়হতু Petrarchan sonnet এ ব খা তাই এই শিেয়ম আয়রা

 London,1802 –Willam wordworth

A rhyme scheme is the pattern of sounds that repeats at the end of a

The poem “poem’s name” is lyric/Sonnet …………It is written in

I have seen roses damasked, red and white, -c

I love to hear her speak, yet well I know -e

And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare -g

I Wandered lonely as a cloud

Continuous as the stars that shine -a

The waves beside them danced; but they-a

For oft, when on my couch I lie-a

এখায়ি সেগু া stanza এর রাইম শিম হয়ে –ababcc

Fair Daffodils, we weep to see-a

The Rhyme scheme of the 1st stanza is-abcbddceae

We have short time to stay, as you,-a

The Rhyme scheme of the 2nd stanza is same.

Sonnet 19: On His Blindness

When I consider how my light is spent, -a

The rhyme scheme of the octave is –abba abba

That murmur, soon replies, “God doth not need-c

The Rhyme scheme of the sestet is –cdd cdd

In the poem,the rhyme scheme of the octave is –abba abba.In the

Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?-a

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,-c

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,-e

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,-g

The rhyme scheme of the first quatrain is abab.Here,lines one

I wonder, by my troth, what thou and I-a

And now good-morrow to our waking souls,-a

My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears,-a

A rhyme scheme is the pattern of sounds that repeats at the end

She Dwelt among the Untrodden Ways

She dwelt among the untrodden ways-a

A violet by a mossy ston-a

She lived unknown, and few could know-a

In spite of myself, the insidious mastery of song -a

So now it is vain for the singer to burst into clamour-a

When you are old and grey and full of sleep, -a

How many loved your moments of glad grace,-c

And bending down beside the glowing bars,e

I met a traveller from an antique land,-a

And on the pedestal, these words appear:-e

Whose woods these are I think I know. -a

My little horse must think it queer -b

He gives his harness bells a shake-c

The woods are lovely, dark and deep, -d

Sweet and low, sweet and low,-a

Sleep and rest, sleep and rest,-a