PoetryFoundational
Rhyme
Repetition of corresponding sounds, often at line endings.
Principle
Rhyme links words by sound before argument explains the link.
Takeaways
- It can create closure, memory, wit, song, or inevitability.
- Slant rhyme creates relation without full resolution.
- Forced rhyme exposes the poet's hand.
Overview
Rhyme is sound correspondence between words. It organises expectation, pattern, emphasis, and memory, whether in strict schemes or looser echoes.
Examples
- A perfect rhyme closes a comic couplet like a latch.
- A slant rhyme leaves grief slightly unresolved.