What is End Rhyme?
Have you ever noticed how some poems just sound pleasing to the ear? The big part of that delightful sound often comes from something called end rhyme. End rhyme is a rhyme that occurs at the end of lines in poetry. It’s about the sounds matching, creating a pleasing auditory experience.
End Rhyme and Rhyme Schemes
End rhymes aren’t just random; they often follow specific patterns called rhyme schemes. A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhymed lines in a poem. The most common rhyme schemes are described with letters: AABB, ABAB, ABBA, AABA, and so on. Each letter represents a different sound that appears at the end of lines.
Examples of Common Rhyme Schemes
Below are several common rhyme schemes used in poetry and their corresponding examples:
The sun is shining bright,
A beautiful and glorious sight.
The wind whispers a gentle song,
As leaves begin to softly fall,
The day grows shorter, not so long,
And winter’s call.
The worm in the world,
A hidden pearl.
The earth turns slowly, the time is forever,
The stars shine bright, the night is clever,
The wind blows gently, the day is ever,
The world is calm, the night is clever.
The bird took flight and sang so high,
Across the clouds it flew, still high,
Its song filled the air with bright sky,
And the world watched as it flew sky.
Feminine Rhyme
Feminine rhyme is a type of end rhyme where the rhymed word contains two syllables, and the stress falls on the second syllable. The rhyme part usually includes an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one, creating a softer, more lyrical sound.
Slant Rhyme (Near Rhyme, Half Rhyme, Imperfect Rhyme)
Slant rhyme, also known as near rhyme, half rhyme, or imperfect rhyme, is a type of end rhyme that does not match perfectly but shares some similarities in sound. The rhyming words may share the same vowel or consonant sound, but they aren’t exact matches. This type of rhyme often gives a subtle, almost whispered quality to the poem.
Common Slant Rhyme Patterns
Below are several common slant rhyme patterns and their corresponding examples:
He whispers softly,
The motion is gentle.
The earth turns slowly, the time is forever,
The stars shine bright, the night is clever,
The wind blows gently, the day is ever,
The world is calm, the night is clever.
I hear a cough,
I see a bough.
Eye Rhyme
Eye rhyme is a type of end rhyme where the words appear to rhyme based on their spelling, but their pronunciation is different. Eye rhyme creates a sense of surprise and a visual trick. Because the rhymed words are spelled similarly, the reader may expect them to sound alike.
Examples of Eye Rhyme Patterns
Below are several eye rhyme patterns used in poetry and their corresponding examples:
I hear a cough,
I see a bough.
The earth turns slowly, the time is forever,
The stars shine bright, the night is clever,
The wind blows gently, the day is ever,
The world is calm, the night is clever.