The PROLOGUE to the play rhymes and is fourteen lines long. This is called…
a Sonnet
prose
alliteration
rhyming couplets
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is a Sonnet.
A sonnet is a specific type of poem that is composed of 14 lines, typically following a particular rhyme scheme and structure. The most famous form is the Shakespearean or English sonnet, which consists of three quatrains (four-line stanzas) followed by a final rhyming couplet (two lines). In addition to the number of lines, sonnets also often feature a regular meter, usually iambic pentameter, in which each line consists of ten syllables with a specific stress pattern.
In the case of the prologue to Romeo and Juliet, it is delivered as a Shakespearean sonnet. This introduces the play and sets the tone for the themes of fate, love, and tragedy that will unfold. The use of rhyme and the distinct structure make it stand out as a sonnet. The prologue summarizes the essential plot of the play in a condensed form and also gives the audience a glimpse of the tragic ending. It also serves as a clever use of the poetic form, reinforcing the theme of inevitability, as sonnets are traditionally associated with timelessness and intense emotional expression.
While alliteration, rhyming couplets, and prose are also stylistic features found in poetry or literature, none of these terms fully capture the structured nature of a sonnet. Alliteration refers to the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words, while rhyming couplets are pairs of lines that rhyme, which are found at the end of a Shakespearean sonnet but do not define the entire poem. Prose refers to writing that is not verse, like ordinary speech or narrative. Thus, the most accurate description of the prologue’s structure is “a Sonnet.”