English Lit 101: Poetic Devices Rhyme End Rhyme Internal Rhyme Perfect Rhyme SlantNear Rhyme Eye Rhyme Masculine Rhyme Feminine Rhyme Rhyme Scheme ABAB ABBA AABB etc

What It Is

Rhyme is a literary device in which words have the same sound in their final syllables. This device is used in poetry to create musicality, structure, and meaning. For example, in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven," the repetition of the word "nevermore" creates a sense of ominous repetition, emphasizing the raven's message. Understanding rhyme is crucial for analyzing the structure and meaning of poems.

Key Terms & Concepts

• End Rhyme: Rhyme between words at the end of a line. Example: "cat" and "hat" in "The Owl and the Pussycat" by Edward Lear.
• Internal Rhyme: Rhyme within a line, not at the end. Example: "stars" and "scars" in "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot.
• Perfect Rhyme: Exact rhyme between words with the same sound and spelling. Example: "day" and "play" in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot.
• Slant/Near Rhyme: Words with similar but not identical sounds. Example: "sight" and "night" in "The Tyger" by William Blake.
• Eye Rhyme: Words that look similar but do not actually rhyme. Example: "knight" and "night" in "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer.
• Masculine Rhyme: Rhyme between words with one syllable. Example: "cat" and "hat" in "The Owl and the Pussycat" by Edward Lear.
• Feminine Rhyme: Rhyme between words with two syllables. Example: "beautiful" and "delightful" in "The Eve of St. Agnes" by John Keats.
• Rhyme Scheme: The pattern of rhymes in a poem. Example: ABAB in "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost.
• Consonance: The repetition of consonant sounds within words. Example: "lamb" and "slumber" in "The Lamb" by William Blake.
• Alliteration: The repetition of initial consonant sounds within words. Example: "sally sells seashells" in "The Hunting of the Snark" by Lewis Carroll.
• Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds within words. Example: "how" and "now" in "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot.

Common Misunderstandings

• Misunderstanding: End Rhyme and Internal Rhyme are the same thing.
• Correction: End Rhyme refers to rhymes at the end of a line, while Internal Rhyme refers to rhymes within a line.
• Misunderstanding: Perfect Rhyme and Slant Rhyme are interchangeable terms.
• Correction: Perfect Rhyme refers to exact rhymes, while Slant Rhyme refers to words with similar but not identical sounds.
• Misunderstanding: Eye Rhyme is the same as Slant Rhyme.
• Correction: Eye Rhyme refers to words that look similar but do not actually rhyme, while Slant Rhyme refers to words with similar but not identical sounds.

Quick Application / Identification

1. Identify the type of rhyme in the following line: "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain." Answer: End Rhyme (Spain and plain) Reason: The words "Spain" and "plain" are at the end of the line and have the same sound.
2. Identify the type of rhyme in the following line: "The stars shone bright in the midnight air." Answer: Internal Rhyme (stars and scars is not present, but "bright" and "air" have a similar sound) Reason: The words "bright" and "air" have a similar sound within the line.
3. Identify the type of rhyme scheme in the following poem: "Roses are red, violets are blue, Sugar is sweet, and so are you." Answer: AABB Reason: The first and second lines rhyme, while the third and fourth lines rhyme.

Last‑Minute Revision

• ⚠️ The term "rhyme" comes from the Old English word "riman," meaning "to sound."
• ⚠️ The first known use of rhyme in English poetry dates back to the 13th century.
• ⚠️ The term "slant rhyme" was first used by the American poet Marianne Moore in the 20th century.
• ⚠️ The term "eye rhyme" was first used by the American poet Edgar Allan Poe in the 19th century.
• ⚠️ The term "masculine rhyme" was first used by the English poet John Dryden in the 17th century.
• ⚠️ The term "feminine rhyme" was first used by the English poet Alexander Pope in the 18th century.
• ⚠️ The term "rhyme scheme" was first used by the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge in the 19th century.
• ⚠️ The term "consonance" was first used by the English poet Gerard Manley Hopkins in the 19th century.
• ⚠️ The term "alliteration" was first used by the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century.
• ⚠️ The term "assonance" was first used by the French poet Guillaume de Machaut in the 14th century.
• ⚠️ The term "perfect rhyme" was first used by the English poet John Milton in the 17th century.
• ⚠️ The term "slant rhyme" is also known as "near rhyme" or "imperfect rhyme."