Question

Read this sonnet, and then complete the sentences that follow. Sonnet 4 by Edmund Spenser Be not dismayed that her unmoved mind Doth still persist in her rebellious pride: And love not like to lusts of baser kind, The harder won, the firmer will abide. The durefull Oak, whose sap is not yet dried, Is long ere it conceive the kindling fire; But when it once doth burn, it doth divide, Great heat, and makes his flames to heaven aspire. So hard it is to kindle new desire, In gentle breast that shall endure for ever: Deep is the wound, that dints the parts entire With chaste affects, that naught but death can sever. Then think not long in taking little pain, To knit the knot, that ever shall remain. The sonnet is written in the form. The rhyme scheme is . The main idea of the poem is . The poet has used the of burning an oak to emphasize how patient one needs to be when trying to win the love of a lady. He also uses the metaphor of the to emphasize the depth of love.

Answer 1

Answer & Explanation:

The sonnet is written in the form of three quartets and a final couplet that closes up the sonnet. Each quartet is made of 4 lines and the final couplet has only two lines.

The rhyme scheme is a typical ABAB in each quartet, which means that the first line's end rhymes with the third and the second line with the fourth, in every quartet, and finally, the couplet rhymes the two lines' ends.

The main idea of the poem is that men should not give up on a woman's love even if she doesn't initially correspond it, and also, that the harder the better in the matter of love.

The author refers to the "burning an oak" to express how having the loved one's attention is progressive, as the oak, the fire does not immediately burn it all, but it starts to consume it bit by bit, therefore, having the woman's love is similar, and requires effort and patience. Also, as the process is similar to a burning oak, it starts from outside and goes deeper and deeper as the fire grows, indicating how love also grows from outside to inside.

Answer 2

The rhyme scheme is ABAB up until the last two lines, which are CC. Rhyme scheme signifies which lines rhyme with each other, depending on the last word in each line. The As correspond with each other, the Bs correspond with each other, and so on.

The main idea of the poem is that one should not to give up pursuing a woman if at first she doesn't seem interested, because when she has finally been won over, her love will last forever. In other words, be patient, because a woman who is not easily wooed will provide the longest form of love.

The poet uses the "metaphor" of burning an oak. A metaphor is a comparison between two seemingly unlike things (in this case a woman/her love and an oak tree) without using the words "like" or "as" (which would make the comparison a simile). 

The poet uses the metaphor of a wound to represent how deep love can go ("Deep is the wound, that dints the parts entire With chaste affects, that naught but death can sever").