Question

complete the rhyme scheme.
a a b b
what matter if i stand alone?
i wait with joy the coming years;
my heart shall reap when it has sown,
and gather up its fruit of tears.
from john burroughs, \waiting\

Explanation:

1. Analyze the rhyme of each line: "alone" (first line) and "years" (second line) rhyme? Wait, no, wait—wait, "alone" and "sown"? No, wait, let's check the sounds. Wait, "alone" (ending with -one) and "sown" (ending with -own)? Wait, maybe I made a mistake. Wait, the first line: "What matter if I stand alone?" (rhyme sound: -one), second line: "I wait with joy the coming years;" (rhyme sound: -ears). Wait, no, the given rhyme scheme is A A B B. So let's match: first line (A), second line (A) because they should rhyme? Wait, maybe the original rhyme is "alone" and "sown"? No, "alone" (oʊn) and "sown" (oʊn)? Wait, "years" (ɪərz) and "tears" (ɪərz). Oh! Wait, first line: "alone" (rhyme A), second line: "years" – no, wait, maybe the first line "alone" and the third line "sown" don't rhyme. Wait, no, the given rhyme scheme is A A B B. So let's assign:

Line 1: "What matter if I stand alone?" – A (because it's the first A)

Line 2: "I wait with joy the coming years;" – A (matches the first A's rhyme? Wait, maybe "alone" and "sown" are A? No, "alone" (oʊn) and "sown" (oʊn) – yes! Wait, "alone" (line 1) and "sown" (line 3) – no, line 3 is "My heart shall reap when it has sown,". Wait, line 1: "alone" (A), line 2: "years" – no, line 2 should be A. Wait, maybe "years" and "tears" are B. So line 1: A, line 2: A (wait, "alone" and "years" don't rhyme. Wait, maybe the poem's rhyme is "alone" (A) and "sown" (A)? No, line 1 and line 3. Wait, the given rhyme scheme is A A B B, so we need to assign A to line 1, A to line 2, B to line 3, B to line 4. So:

Line 1: A

Line 2: A

Line 3: B

Line 4: B

Because "years" (line 2) and "tears" (line 4) rhyme (both end with -ears), and "alone" (line 1) and "sown" (line 3) rhyme (both end with -own). So yes, line 1: A, line 2: A, line 3: B, line 4: B.

Answer:

A, A, B, B (for the lines: "What matter if I stand alone?" - A; "I wait with joy the coming years;" - A; "My heart shall reap when it has sown," - B; "And gather up its fruit of tears." - B)