Lindy Miller defines rhyme as ‘unity of sound between words and their endings’ (Miller 2001 266). These unities are arranged in regular patterns to form rhyming schemes around which much poetry is structured.
Spotting rhyming schemes is a popular practice among students of literature because it is probably the easiest aspect of literary analysis. And yet, by itself, it doesn’t help to read the poem any more profitably than, say, spotting words that begin with T. They remain, at best, interesting observations. The rest of this section will suggest ways in which you can do something with your observations.
Types of Rhyme
One of the ways we can think about rhyme is to consider how it is involved in meaning. For example, have you ever noticed the way the simplistic rhyming scheme of nursery rhymes contributes towards its meaning by imitating the energetic movement of a child at play?
William Blake’s Songs of Innocence (1789) is full of examples of this effect. Listen to the following song:
Laughing Song
When the green woods laugh with the voice of joy,
And the dimpling stream runs laughing by;
When the air does laugh with our merry wit,
And the green hill laughs with the noise of it;
When the meadows laugh with lively green,
And the grasshopper laughs in the merry scene;
When Mary and Susan and Emily
With their sweet round mouths sing,
‘Ha, ha, he!’ When the painted birds laugh in the shade,
Where our table with cherries and nuts is spread,
Come live and be merry, and join in with me
To sing the sweet chorus of ‘Ha, ha, he!’
(Wu: 2003 64-5)
Your first comment will probably make reference to its lyrical quality. However, you should go on to explain how this is brought about.
End Rhyme is where the last words or syllable of the line rhymes with another end word or syllable. E.g., ‘green’ and ‘scene’.
Internal Rhyme is where words or syllables rhyme within the line.
Listen to the effect of internal rhyme in the following extract from Blake’s ‘The Garden of Love’:
And priests in black gowns were walking their rounds,
And binding with briars my joys and desires.
(Wu: 78)
Try substituting ‘gowns’ with ‘robes’, or ‘briars’ with ‘brambles’. What effect does this have?
Masculine Rhyme is where the line ends with a stressed syllable, which rhymes with another stressed syllable.
Feminine Rhyme is where the line ends with an unstressed syllable, and which rhymes with another unstressed syllable.
Listen to the following extract from Blake’s ‘The Chimney Sweeper’:
And because I am happy and dance and sing,
They think they have done me no injury,
And are gone to praise God and his priest and king,
Who make up a heaven of our misery.
(Wu: 75)
What effect does this combination of masculine and feminine rhyme have on your reading?
Why do you think a present and emphasised sound is described as masculine, while a soft and fading sound is identified as feminine? As a student of literature, do you think such questions matter?
Half Rhymes are imperfect rhymes; they nearly rhyme, but not perfectly, for example, Blake’s ‘gowns’ and ‘rounds’ produce a rhyming effect, but not as perfectly, say, as ‘gown and town’.
Eye Rhymes are also imperfect rhyme; they rhyme visually but not aurally.
Next time you write about rhyme - remember to discuss how it helps to create meaning.
