Skip to main content

Can you tell me how to identify the type of rhyme in the Romeo and Juliet quote that says "But come, young waverer, come go with me, In one respect...

In Romeo and Juliet, as with most of his plays, William Shakespeare uses rhyming couplets. A couplet is simply two consecutive lines which rhyme. Couplets are used throughout the play and are particularly employed when Romeo and Juliet are speaking to each other, including possibly the most famous couplet in the play when Juliet says goodbye to Romeo at the end of the balcony scene:


Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet sorrowThat I...

In Romeo and Juliet, as with most of his plays, William Shakespeare uses rhyming couplets. A couplet is simply two consecutive lines which rhyme. Couplets are used throughout the play and are particularly employed when Romeo and Juliet are speaking to each other, including possibly the most famous couplet in the play when Juliet says goodbye to Romeo at the end of the balcony scene:



Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow
That I shall say 'Good night' till it be morrow.



Obviously sorrow and morrow make for an excellent rhyme. Similarly, Friar Laurence uses couplets when he tells Romeo he will perform the marriage between the two young lovers:




But come, young waverer, come, go with me.
In one respect I’ll thy assistant be,
For this alliance may so happy prove
To turn your households’ rancor to pure love.





In the first two lines, me rhymes with be. Unfortunately, in the third and fourth lines, prove and love don't really rhyme but they are certainly close in sound and achieve the effect that Shakespeare was going for. These lines explain the Friar's rationale for marrying Romeo and Juliet. He believes that if the two are married the feud between the Montagues and Capulets will be over and only "pure love" will be left. 


Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more