Page 4 Rhyme in Poetry
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Rhyme in Poetry
End Rhyme: If an end word of one line of poetry contains a sound(s) identical to the sound at the end of another poetic line, end rhyme is being used. For example, cat rhymes with hat;
For example: cat rhymes with hat; boat rhymes with gloat.
The rhyming of final stressed syllables has been called masculine rhyme. In the study of poetry, sequential letters of the alphabet are used to show rhyme. Consider these two examples:
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There Will Come Soft Rains
Robins will wear their feathery fire, a Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire ... a - Sara Teasdale |
Because I could not stop for Death, a a- The first end word is assigned an "a" b - Both parts of the rhyming pair receive the same letter. c - Each new end word receives a new letter unless it rhymes with a previous word. Therefore, the rhyme scheme of this poem is abcb. |
Internal Rhyme: At times, a poet chooses a word in the middle that rhymes with a word at the end of the line. This is called an internal rhyme.
Feminine Rhyme or Double Rhyme: The rhyme of multi-syllabic words in which stressed syllables are followed by identical unstressed syllables is called feminine rhyme. Sometimes, the second to last syllables of one word rhyme or sound very similar to the second last syllable of another word. Because feminine rhyme usually involves words of two syllables (although sometimes more), it often is called double rhyme.
Examples:
slightly/sprightly
creeping/sleeping
glamorous/amorous
label/table
The feminine rhyme in "Yankee Doodle" is bolded below.
Yankee Doodle went to town
Riding on his pony
Stuck a feather in his cap
And called it macaroni.
| Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary
~Edgar Allen Poe, "The Raven" |
Feminine Rhyme or Double Rhyme: The rhyme of multi-syllabic words in which stressed syllables are followed by identical unstressed syllables is called feminine rhyme. Sometimes, the second to last syllables of one word rhyme or sound very similar to the second last syllable of another word. Because feminine rhyme usually involves words of two syllables (although sometimes more), it often is called double rhyme.
Examples:
slightly/sprightly
creeping/sleeping
glamorous/amorous
label/table
The feminine rhyme in "Yankee Doodle" is bolded below.
Yankee Doodle went to town
Riding on his pony
Stuck a feather in his cap
And called it macaroni.
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Self Assessment
Practise identifying rhythm and rhyme in some children's nursery rhymes. (Reading the rhymes aloud can help you). Click here to do the practice exercise. |