Rhyme | Poetry Foundation (2024)

The repetition of syllables, typically at the end of a verse line. Rhymed words conventionally share all sounds following the word’s last stressed syllable. Thus “tenacity” and “mendacity” rhyme, but not “jaundice” and “John does,” or “tomboy” and “calm bay.” A rhyme scheme is usually the pattern of end rhymes in a stanza, with each rhyme encoded by a letter of the alphabet, from a onward (ABBA BCCB, for example). Rhymes are classified by the degree of similarity between sounds within words, and by their placement within the lines or stanzas.

-Eye rhyme rhymes only when spelled, not when pronounced. For example, “through” and “rough.”

-End rhyme, the most common type, is the rhyming of the final syllables of a line. See “Midstairs” by Virginia Hamilton Adair:

And here on this turning of the stair
Between passion and doubt,
I pause and say a double prayer,
One for you, and one for you;
And so they cancel out.

-Feminine rhyme applies to the rhyming of one or more unstressed syllables, such as “dicing” and “enticing.” Ambrose Bierce’s “The Day of Wrath” employs feminine rhyme almost exclusively. Half rhyme is the rhyming of the ending consonant sounds in a word (such as “tell” with “toll,” or “sopped” with “leapt”). This is also termed “off-rhyme,” “slant rhyme,” or apophany. See consonance.

-Identical rhyme employs the same word, identically in sound and in sense, twice in rhyming positions.

See Also
AABB History

-Internal rhyme is rhyme within a single line of verse, when a word from the middle of a line is rhymed with a word at the end of the line.

-Masculine rhyme describes those rhymes ending in a stressed syllable, such as “hells” and “bells.” It is the most common type of rhyme in English poetry.

-Monorhyme is the use of only one rhyme in a stanza. See William Blake’s “Silent, Silent Night.”

-Pararhyme is poet Edmund Blunden’s term for double consonance, where different vowels appear within identical consonant pairs. For example, see Wilfred Owen’s “Strange Meeting”: “Through granites which Titanic wars had groined. / Yet also there encumbered sleepers groaned.”

See also alliteration, assonance, and onomatopoeia. Browse poems with rhymed stanzas.

Rhyme | Poetry Foundation (2024)

FAQs

What is the rhyme scheme answer? ›

What is Rhyme Scheme? In poetry, a rhyme scheme determines and explains which lines of the poem rhyme with other lines in the poem. Rhyme schemes are notated in letters like ABAB. These letters represent four lines of the poem; the lines with the same letters rhyme.

What is the most beautiful short poem ever written? ›

  1. “No Man Is An Island” by John Donne.
  2. “Stopping by Woods On a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost.
  3. “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou.
  4. “Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer's Day?” by William Shakespeare.
  5. “There Will Come Soft Rain” by Sara Teasdale.
  6. “If You Forget Me” by Pablo Neruda.
  7. “O Captain! ...
  8. “Fire And Ice” by Robert Frost.
Apr 16, 2019

What is the meaning of the poem sketch Carl Sandburg? ›

As such, the poem's themes include musings about what is hidden beneath the surface, the destructive power of nature, and the endless march of time represented by the ocean. (Notably, however, differing interpretations of this poem exist.)

What is Carl Sandburg most famous for? ›

He won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. During his lifetime, Sandburg was widely regarded as "a major figure in contemporary literature", especially for volumes of his collected verse, including Chicago Poems (1916), Cornhuskers (1918), and Smoke and Steel (1920).

What is the Aabb rhyme scheme? ›

The rhyme scheme in any poem is denoted by letters of the alphabet. Lines that end with a rhyme are labeled with the same letter. In an ABAB rhyme scheme, the first and third line end with rhyming words (A) and the second and fourth lines end with different rhyming words (B).

What is the full rhyme scheme? ›

A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem or song. It is usually referred to by using letters to indicate which lines rhyme; lines designated with the same letter all rhyme with each other.

What is the hardest poem to read? ›

"The Chaos" is a poem demonstrating the irregularity of English spelling and pronunciation.

What is a famous one-sentence poem? ›

One of the best examples of the one-sentence poem is Hirsch's own “Fast Break,” published in his second collection, Wild Gratitude, which is one of the books that made me want to study with him in the first place. I hadn't noticed when I read the poem the first time that it was all one sentence.

What is the easiest poem to remember? ›

William Shakespeare's “Sonnet 18” is a beautiful poem that's easy to memorize. It has a clear sonnet form and is only 14 lines long. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Why did Carl Sandburg use personification in his poetry? ›

It is possible that Sandburg utilized personification in his poetry to evoke emotion, make his poems more relatable and accessible, and facilitate a connection between the reader and the theme of a poem.

What does a long brown bar at the dip of the sky put an arm of sand in the span of salt mean? ›

“ A long brown bar at the dip of the sky puts an arm of sand in the span of salt . ” This is personification because it 's referring as the sky putting an arm out .

What does the poem Chicago symbolize Carl Sandburg? ›

In "Chicago," Sandburg personifies the city as a living thing with both youthful energy and a darker side. The intent of the poem is to celebrate the city as a place of energy, industry, and progress without covering up the sense that it is also a place that can be rough and even cruel.

Who was Carl Sandburg's wife? ›

Carl Sandburg wrote these words about his wife, Lilian Steichen Sandburg, whom he met in 1907. Lilian was born in Hanco*ck, Michigan on May 1, 1883. She was the daughter of John Pierre and Mary Kemp Steichen of Luxembourg, and sister to Edward Steichen.

Who did Carl Sandburg admire? ›

From childhood, Sandburg loved and admired the legacy of President Lincoln. For thirty years he sought out and collected material, and gradually began the writing of the six-volume definitive biography of the former president.

What city was depicted in Carl Sandburg's most famous poem? ›

Carl Sandburg's "Chicago" is one of the best known works of 20th century American literature. Included in countless anthologies, this poem made famous the description of Chicago as "City of the Big Shoulders," celebrating its role at the time as the industrial capital of the United States.

Why is a rhyme scheme? ›

Poets choose particular rhyme schemes to impact the audience in different ways. It creates a particular atmosphere and mood, and it can shape the way we respond to the themes in the poem. Rhyme can create a fun atmosphere, a chant-like feel, sense of rigidity or even have sarcastic undertones.

What is the rhyme scheme of the poem example? ›

Rhyme schemes are described using letters of the alphabet, such that all the lines in a poem that rhyme with each other are assigned a letter, beginning with "A." For example, a four-line poem in which the first line rhymes with the third line, and the second line rhymes with the fourth line has the rhyme scheme ABAB, ...

What is rhyme scheme quizlet? ›

Rhyme scheme. The pattern of rhyme between lines of a poem or song. Rhythm. The pattern of beats or stresses in a poem.

What is five rhyme scheme? ›

Types of rhyme scheme
Types of poetic formsExample of a typical rhyme scheme
BalladABAB or ABCB
Coupled rhymeAA, BB, CC, etc.
MonorhymeAAAA
Enclosed rhymeABBA
5 more rows

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