Types of rhymes in poetry.
We’re all familiar with rhyming poems. After all, these are the first poems most of us encounter as children, from the delightful stories of Dr. Seuss to the hilarious poetry of Shel Silverstein.
People often think rhyming poems are rigid, conforming to strict meter and perfect rhymes at the end of every line, but within the world of rhyming, there is a lot of flexibility.
Let’s look at some of the types of rhymes that are available to poets and writers who craft stories in verse.
Types of Rhymes
Alliteration: The repetition of the sound of a letter, usually at the beginning of two or more words and also in stressed syllables (purple peonies, sad ballad).
Assonance: When a single vowel sound is used twice or more in close proximity, the effect is similar to a rhyme (caught walking). Assonance is a type of alliteration.
Consonance: When one consonant sound is used twice or more in close proximity, it renders an effect similar to a rhyme (blue bells). Consonance is a type of alliteration.
Eye rhyme (syllabic rhyme, tail rhyme): Two words that look like they rhyme but don’t sound the same (date, passionate). Eye rhymes were popular back when most poetry was experienced visually rather than audibly.
Forced rhyme: Using awkward or incorrect structuring of language to render a rhyme (I made a bet / A win I’ll get). This type of rhyme is best avoided.
Identical rhyme: Using the same word to make a rhyme, even if it’s a homophone (Turn up the bass / I arrived at the base). Identical rhymes are widely viewed as a lower form of rhyming.
Imperfect rhyme (slant rhyme, partial rhyme, near rhyme, oblique rhyme, half rhyme, etc.): Rhymes in which the sounds match but not exactly or perfectly (bag and mat).
Internal rhyme: Unlike the common end rhyme, at least one word of an internal rhyme occurs anywhere except the end of a line; one of the rhyming words can fall at the beginning of a line, but usually they are set in the middle of a line (The cat chased her tail / She’s fast-paced and spinning). Internal rhymes can also refer to two words that rhyme within a single line.
Mind rhyme: Suggesting a rhyme by leaving a word out, often used to avoid stating profanity (A handsome lad met a young miss / He desperately wanted to give her a…)
Pararhyme: All the consonants match in sound but the vowels do not (robot, rabbit).
Perfect rhyme (full rhyme, exact rhyme, true rhyme): Words that rhyme perfectly (mad and glad, rim and dim). Strictly speaking, the final stressed vowel and all sounds that follow it must be identical. The following are types of perfect rhymes:
- Single: stress is on the final syllable in the rhyming words (engineer and career).
- Double: stress is on the penultimate (second to last) syllable in the rhyming words (understanding and demanding).
- Dactylic: stress is on the antepenultimate (third from last) syllable in the rhyming words.
Weak rhyme (unaccented rhyme): The rhyme occurs on at least one unaccented syllable (race, PILLowcase), not to be confused with a more general use of “weak rhyme” to refer to a rhyme that is lackluster.
Broken rhyme (split rhyme): A type of enjambment in which a word is divided at the line break to make a rhyme at the end of another line or to fill out the meter the the lines.
Benefits of Rhyming
Whether you’re working rhymes into your poetry or just experimenting with rhymes in order to learn more about language, there are many benefits to studying and practicing various types of rhymes, because doing so forces you to delve deeper into language.
Learning about rhymes enhances your vocabulary because you must search for the perfect word to make a rhyme. Rhyming also promotes musicality (rhythm and meter) in one’s writing. The practice of rhyming forces us to put our poetry under a microscope and view it critically, thus creating opportunities for us to improve our work. Rhyming is also an excellent tool for teaching youngsters about language in a fun and engaging way.
Do you write rhyming poetry? What types of rhymes do you favor in your lines and stanzas? Have you ever tried to write a rhyming story in the vein of Seuss or Shakespeare? Share your thoughts about rhyming and and experiences with rhymes by leaving a comment, and keep writing poetry!
Rhyming poetry is my favourite kind but it doesn’t seem to be as popular for adults in our modern world. Freestyle poetry is much more popular.
I’m not sure that rhyming is out of style, but I would agree that formal rhyming poetry is out of style, i.e. sonnets. These days, we often find rhymes internally or spread out rather than the traditional patterns with end rhymes on every line (and consistent meter). Good observation, Robbie!
What kind of rhyme is “heather” and “forever”? I feel that the short “e” sound and the “er” sound in both words make it stronger than the examples given for an imperfect rhyme (bag and mat) and I would also note that “th” and “v” are similar in that they are both voiced fricative consonants. However, they are obviously not quite perfect because the consonant is not identical.
Well, the -er endings would make these perfect rhymes, but the rhyme goes deeper than that, because the ea sound in heather and the e in forever also rhyme. This is an imperfect rhyme, because the th in heather and the v in forever aren’t an exact match.
Thank you for your thoughts on poetry, especially the rhyming kind. As I enjoy those the best. They seem to resonate with me much more…
Thanks for your comment, Jennifer. I like rhymes too!
I usually prefer rhyme when I read a poem even if it seems to be a dying art. Shame. This is what distinguishes poetry from just a jumble of disconnected thoughts posing as modern poetry.
Hi Bob. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Unfortunately, I have to disagree. I don’t think poetry that doesn’t rhyme is necessarily jumbled or disconnected. I certainly understand the preference for rhyming poetry (I’m with you on that!), but plenty of non-rhyming poems are clear and connected. I encourage all poets and poetry readers to be open-minded. You never know — one of these days, a non-rhyming poem might surprise you.
I write poetry and all but one of mine rhyme. I wrote a poem about an old house and it is written from the houses point of view. How it feels about the family living within it walls. It’s take on the children swinging in the front yard or the chores of ma and pa. It’s one of my favorites that I ever wrote. These type of poems are harder for me to write. Whether you rhyme or don’t…. If you feel strongly about a topic and write from the heart, it tends to write itself. Thus, the only hard part is the rhyming words. I write 2 types of rhyming poems. One will rhyme every other line. The other will rhyme every 2nd and 4th line. The second one being the toughest for me. I use 2 apps to help me and I wouldn’t give them up… No way. One is a speech to text app and the other is a good recorder app. But I still use old fashioned pen and paper… LOL as per the first lines in one I just finished. “The thoughts as they come from a lonely old man,
flow to the page through the pen in his hand.”
I love the concept of a poem written from a house’s point of view! You are quite lucky if your poems write themselves if you feel strongly and write from the heart. I think we all experience writing sessions that like occasionally, but I have experienced challenges with writing poems, even when I felt strongly about them or wrote from the heart. That’s what makes poetry writing so fascinating — the writing experience is different with every poem (at least for me). Pen and paper for poetry writing is my favorite too!
Actually it’s true I have a thought in my head and I just start writing usually write it within 30 minutes with no editing not every time but most of the time. My creative writing teacher in collegehad me write a paper on a person that I knew very well and he wanted to be able to see that person I was the only person in the class who passed the assignment he said that he could visualize this person like she was standing in front of him. He told me I had a talent for writing at that time but I had no interest in it. I wrote my first poem entitled “Lonely” on Valentine’s day of 2014 it’s a sad story but my chocolate lab passed away that morning and I had to get the feeling out of my system so I sat in front of my computer and wrote it in about 30 minutes with very little editing. I tell people all the time that if you have any conscience at all, then your heart and your brain become one and the words just flow to the page without any effort. That’s how it works for me. I like to share lonely with you and get your honest opinion on it and please be honest. I truly respect honesty, thank you!
Lonely
Lonely is a state of mind,
at least that’s what they say.
I think lonely is a crippling fear,
that keeps true love at bay.
Lonely is an empty space,
that never seems to fill.
An endless crushing pain,
that has you at it’s will.
Lonely is like an upward climb,
slipping as you go.
For as you sit around and dwell,
the mountain only grows.
I feel the pain of lonely,
I feel it every day.
How I’ll make it from its depths,
God I only pray.
Please help save me from its grip,
my heart can only moan.
Send someone special just for me,
that I can call my own.
Charlie D
Thank you for sharing your poem. It sounds like your college teacher saw talent in your work. Keep writing!
Also, as for me and how I rhyme. I like a perfect rhyme every time. It kinda urks me when someone tweeks and twists words to make them fit. Where if you say each word they used properly and there is no rhyme what so ever.
I agree. Forced rhymes are worse than no rhymes. However, I do love a good rhyme!
I sent you an email with the above poem and a more recent one. I was hoping you could gather from the two if my style, use of words, anything that one critiques poetry by has improved stayed the same or any other factors. I would truly love to hear your “Honest” opinion. Thank you Charlie D.
Charles, I responded to your email. Check your inbox. Thanks.
Hi there,
I was hoping that you could let me know what kind of rhyme “is” and “miss” would make. I’m stumped, but my first thought was eye rhyme.
Thank you for your help,
Cat
Hi Cat. That’s a great question! I think this is a case of alliteration — specifically assonance, where the two words share a consonant sound (short i). One ends with a z sound and the other ends with a hard s sound. This could be considered an imperfect rhyme.
I wrote this just for this wonderful site and for the people appreciate it. I know that I do!
“Poetry”
Poetry is a play on words,
Its not quite a story not quite a song.
It has a power all its own,
A lot gets said without being long.
Some are good,
Some are bad.
Many are happy,
But many are sad.
To express ones self with unsaid feeling,
Not just that but to set it ryhme.
The feeling is felt without a doubt,
But due to the clever use of words, it stands the test if time.
Charlie D.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing your poem, Charlie.
Hi Melissa,
If possible, can you kindly share the name(s) of any magazine(s), or any publisher(s), for that matter, that are honestly enthusiastic about offering metered rhyming poetry to their patrons? I’ve written in only metered perfect-rhyme for 58 years and have yet to discover a seriously reliable outlet for my work. I’m a major poster on PoetrySoup.com, but they allow literally ‘anything comprised of words’ on their site!!! I believe, by doing so, they’re actually discouraging thousands and thousands of people from searching out what I’ve always been told is the vast majority of poetry lovers’ preferred style of verse. As you must know, penning a piece of any significance in metered rhyme is, for all but a few of us old-school holdouts, considerably more difficult than trying to do the same in the myriad of far less confining formats.
I’ve also posted around 450 pcs. on my website, not that they’ll ever be spotted.
We seem to think alike on this issue —
Best,
Mark
Hi Mark. Thanks for your question and comments. Unfortunately, advising on specific publications for submission is beyond the purview of this website. We focus more on general writing tips and ideas. Finding a good publication that is a match to your writing can take time, but it’s worth the effort. I wish you the best of luck!
Chat GPT 3.5
Write a poem containing end rhymes, internal rhymes, alliteration, consonance, forced rhymes, weak rhymes and broken rhymes and at the end, summarize the different rhymes your poem contains by type.
Sure, here’s a poem that includes end rhymes, internal rhymes, alliteration, consonance, forced rhymes, weak rhymes, and broken rhymes, with a summary at the end:
The wind that howls through the trees,
A sound so haunting, carried on the breeze,
The leaves that rustle, a symphony,
Of whispers, and murmurs, and secrets, so free.
The moon that rises, a silvery sphere,
A beacon bright, in the night, so clear,
The stars that twinkle, a distant dance,
A light so bright, a fleeting chance.
But in the distance, something stirs,
A sound so broken, it sends shivers,
A voice that’s weak, and so forlorn,
A heart that’s shattered, and so torn.
The night that’s cold, and full of dread,
A world so bleak, and full of dead,
And in my soul, a deep despair,
A longing for a love that’s rare.
Summary:
End rhymes: trees/breeze, symphony/free, sphere/clear, chance/dance, stirs/shivers, forlorn/torn, dread/dead, despair/rare
Internal rhymes: howls/breeze, rustle/murmurs/secrets, rises/silvery, twinkle/distant, shattered/torn
Alliteration: wind/howls, rustle/symphony, whispers/murmurs
Consonance: howls/carried, rustle/symphony, silvery/clear, chance/light, stirs/broken, shattered/torn
Forced rhymes: trees/whispers, symphony/forlorn
Weak rhymes: breeze/free, shivers/torn
Broken rhymes: dread/dead
This is so lovely! You really did the work on this one. Nice job. Thanks so much for sharing it here.
It’s not surprising that so many people like rhyming poetry. What does surprise me is how many write it.
I write, in the main, rhyming poetry, but have written some non-rhyming. Most of my poetry has rhythm, or some repetitive element.
Here’s an example I wrote in the 1960s about nuclear weapons.
Now we have created something
That threatens to destroy.
One error, one mistake
And what is left for us
But Death
I see the ruins of a country
That once was powerful.
Now there is nothing but
Ruin,dust, decay
And Death
I hear the cries of suffering people
Many people, old and young.
They cry in agony to God
Please give us peace
Through Death.
But
The only true peace we can have on Earth
Is through remembrance of our Saviour’s birth.
I can’t get my head around ‘free verse’. If it has no rhyme, rhythm or repetitive elements, how is it poetry?
I’m not saying it’s not poetic, but it seems like a piece of prose broken into lines.
Discuss! 😄
I find that too many predicable rhymes can detract from the content. I don’t plan out where my rhymes occur so often I have an erratic rhyme scheme:
https://linesbyleon.com/2023/01/05/thursday-thoughts-poetic-license-updated/
In a story I am writing, a student named Shea is given the nickname Shakespeare. What kind of a rhyme is this?
This would probably be classified as an identical rhyme and maybe also an internal rhyme. Here, you’re asking about two words rhyming. In poetry, we’re looking at rhymes in a broader scheme.