ABAB CDCD EE Poetry

This page explores ABAB CDCD EE poems, a classic rhyme scheme used in Shakespearean sonnets. The alternating quatrains build tension and thematic contrast, while the final rhyming couplet (volta) delivers resolution or a sharp twist. Discover how poets use this structure to frame arguments, explore emotions, and create formal elegance.

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The Cry of the Children

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

‘The Cry of the Children’ by Browning exposes child labor’s cruelties, urging societal change through imagery of suffering.

Most stanzas in this poem follow the ABAB CDCD EE pattern. That means the first and third lines rhyme, the second and fourth rhyme, then the last two lines rhyme with each other. This pattern gives the poem a steady and musical flow, which helps balance the serious subject. Even though the poem deals with heavy emotions, the rhyme helps guide the reader through each part, keeping the structure strong and easy to follow.

Do ye hear the children weeping, O my brothers,

Ere the sorrow comes with years ?

They are leaning their young heads against their mothers, —

And that cannot stop their tears.

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Base Details

by Siegfried Sassoon

‘Base Details’ critiques WWI British officers’ comfort vs. soldiers’ suffering, exposing a stark, bitter divide with sharp irony.

The poem follows the rhyme scheme ABABCDCDEE, which is a form of the Shakespearean sonnet. Each pair of lines rhymes in a set pattern, giving the poem a neat, organized sound. This structure feels formal, which is interesting because the poem’s message is so sharp and bitter. Sassoon uses this traditional rhyme scheme to create a contrast between how the poem sounds and what it actually says, making the criticism of the officers stand out even more.

If I were fierce, and bald, and short of breath

I'd live with scarlet Majors at the Base,

And speed glum heroes up the line to death.

You'd see me with my puffy petulant face,

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ABAB CDCD EE Poetry

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ABAB CDCD EE Poetry

The Cry of the Children

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Base Details

by Siegfried Sassoon

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