Does ‘If Thou Must Love Me’ qualify as a sonnet?

QuestionsDoes ‘If Thou Must Love Me’ qualify as a sonnet?
Anonymous asked 7 years ago

What qualities of a sonnet does Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poem ‘If Thou Must Love Me’ have? Is it a true sonnet?

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1 Answers
Staff answered 7 years ago

A sonnet is a poem of 14 lines consisting a special rhyme scheme.

Yes, the poem If Thou Must Love Me qualifies as a sonnet. It consists of fourteen lines and a special rhyme scheme ABBA ABBA CD CD CD. This is the typical form of an Italian or Petrarchan sonnet.

The poem also has a single theme and that too the theme of love. This is a typical trait of English sonnets.

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