The rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhyme that’s used in a poem. It corresponds with the end sounds that feature in lines of verse.
Common rhyme schemes A ballade is a rhyming poem with a defined rhyme scheme of ABABBCBC, seen here in one stanza from Andrew Lang’s “Ballade of the Optimist,” written in 1905: Heed not the folk who sing or say In sonnet sad or sermon chill, "Alas, alack, and well-a-day, This...
Alternating rhyme: ABAB The alternating rhyme is another classic rhyme scheme. Simple, yet precise, the ABAB pattern alternates rhymes every other line. You’ll find plenty of examples throughout history, but we’ll turn to Emily Brontë for this one. Her short poem “I Know Not ...
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. In this lesson, find a detailed rhyme scheme...
What is a rhyme scheme? Here’s a quick and simple definition: A rhyme scheme is the pattern according to which end rhymes (rhymes located at the end of lines) are repeated in works poetry. Rhyme schemes are described using letters of the alphabet, such that all the lines in a poem th...
AABB rhyme schemes can be used to achieve many different effects, often depending on the content of the poem in which they are used. Here are some general interpretations that can commonly be applied to this rhyme scheme.The AABB rhyme scheme can evoke a simple or direct message because many...
Note that two lines of a rhyming scheme don’t need to be right next to each other in a poem to share the same rhyme scheme. These are the opening lines to Poe’s “Annabel Lee.” It was many and many a year ago, (A) In a kingdom by the sea, (B) That a maiden there ...
Examples of Rhyme, Half-Rhyme, and Internal Rhyme in Writing Rhyme Example 1. “And now he slowly rises up/over trees and snow./He begins to grow more thin, and then/vanished in air!”— John Logan’s poem, “White Pass Ski Patrol” contains two half-rhymes, “begins” and “thin,...
Structure: The main purpose of stanzas is to provide structure. They are the pillars that support your poem. This support is made up of the number of lines in each stanza, the rhyme scheme, and the meter. Rhythm: Poetry is an inherently rhythmic form of reading and writing. By using a...
Rhyme schemes are described using letters of the alphabet, so that each line of verse that corresponds to a specific type of rhyme used in the poem is assigned a letter, beginning with "A." For example, a four-line poem in which the first line rhymes with the third, and the second ...