Examples of slant Rhyme in Emily Dickinson’s Poems

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Hi,

You are guiding me well, thanks and now another question. Please give me examples of slant rhyme?

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You are welcome,

Ok,

Emily Dickinson is famous for the use of slant rhymes in her poetry; however, Gerard Manley Hopkins and W.B Yeats made this idea popular. Let’s us take an example from the poemThe Difference between Despair” by Emily Dickenson:

The initial lines appear with consistent pattern, nevertheless the last line uses slant rhyme demonstrating feelings of love.

“The Mind is Smooth – no Motion –
Contented as the Eye (slanted)
Upon the Forehead of a Bust –
That knows – it cannot see”(slanted)

I have another example from Emily Dickinson’s poem “Not any Higher Stands the Grave.”

 

“Not any higher stands the Grave
For Heroes than for men
Not any nearer for the Child
Than numb Three Score and Ten

In this stanza, notice the words “men” and “ten” have used perfect rhyme. Now compare this stanza to the very next stanza that has same rhyme scheme:

“This latest Leisure equal lulls
The Beggar and his Queen
Propitiate this Democrat
A Summer’s Afternoon.”

In the following stanza, though “queen” and “afternoon” end with same consonant sounds, yet do not rhyme perfectly.