Two words are said to rhyme when they end with the same sounds, a technique that’s very common in poetry. Although poems don’t always have to rhyme, such as in the case of free verse or haiku, rhyme can add beauty and layers of meaning to your poetry.
When you write a rhyming poem, the rhymes usually follow a pattern. For example, the pattern may be that the first line rhymes with the third, and the second with the fourth. Or, you might have two consecutive lines rhyme with each other.
What Is a Rhyme Scheme?
A rhyme scheme is the set of letters that represent the rhyming pattern of a poem. We call these “letter variables,” and we use capital letters to indicate which lines rhyme with each other.
For example, if the first line rhymes with the third line, we indicate those sounds with an A. Then, if the second line rhymes with the fourth, we indicate them with a B, like this:
The friendly cow all red and white – A
—”The Cow” by Robert Louis Stevenson
I love with all my heart – B
She gives me cream with all her might – A
To eat with apple-tart – B
How Do You Find the Rhyme Scheme of a Poem?
If you want to determine which rhyme scheme a poem follows, look to the last sound in the line. Label every new ending sound with a new letter. Then when the same sound occurs in the next lines, use the same letter.
For example:
All things bright and beautiful – A
All creatures great and small – B
All things wise and wonderful – A
The Lord God made them all. – B
In this poem by Cecil Alexander, the first line ends with the word “beautiful.” Label this A. Then the next line ends with the word “small,” which does not rhyme with beautiful, so label this line B.
Then, the third line ends with the word “wonderful,” which rhymes with the last word of the first line, “beautiful.” As such, use the same letter, A, for this line.
The fourth line ends with the word “all,” which rhymes with the word “small” in the second line. So you need to use the same letter as in the second line, B.
This gives us the rhyme scheme ABAB.
What if we have more than two pairs of rhyming words? We would follow the same principle: use a new letter for every new sound, and use the same letter for rhyming words.
Here’s an example by William Blake:
Piping down the valleys wild, – A
Piping songs of pleasant glee, – B
On a cloud I saw a child, – A
And he laughing said to me: – B
‘Pipe a song about a Lamb!’ – C
So I piped with merry cheer. – D
‘Piper, pipe that song again.’ – E
So I piped: he wept to hear. – D
‘Drop thy pipe, thy happy pipe; – F
Sing thy songs of happy cheer!’ – D
In this example, the first four lines follow the rhyme scheme ABAB. But the next few lines are CDEDFD. (The only rhymes are in the lines labeled D.)
What Is the Rhyme Scheme AABB?
Because each letter in a rhyme scheme refers to one ending sound, you can easily see which lines rhyme for that poem. For example, if the given rhyme scheme is AABB, that means the first two lines rhyme with each other, and the next two lines rhyme with each other.
Most nursery rhymes use the AABB rhyme scheme. For example:
Once I saw a little bird go hop, hop, hop – A
So I said, “Little bird, will you stop, stop stop?” – A
As I was going to the window to say, “How do you do?” – B
It flicked its little tail and far away he flew. – B
Twinkle, twinkle, little star – A
How I wonder what you are. – A
Up above the world so high, – B
Like a diamond in the sky. – B
Twinkle, twinkle, little star – A
How I wonder what you are. – A
Common Rhyme Schemes
When you write a rhyming poem, you do not have to follow a fixed pattern. You can just keep adding new rhymes and continue expanding the pattern.
But some types of poems have assigned rhyme schemes. These include:
1. Shakespearean Sonnet: This is always a 14-line poem broken down into three 4-line stanzas and a couplet to end the piece. The rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, unique only to the Shakespearean sonnet.
2. Alternate rhyme: In this rhyme scheme, the first line rhymes with the third, and the second line rhymes with the fourth. The ABAB rhyme scheme is common for poems with four lines in each stanza.
3. Ballade: This lyric poem (not to be confused with a ballad) typically comes in three stanzas of eight lines each, and ends with a four-line stanza. The rhyme scheme for a ballade is ABABBCBC.
4. Coupled rhyme: This refers to two consecutive lines that rhyme, usually in two-line stanzas. The rhyme scheme is AA BB CC, or any other similar scheme with pairs of rhyming lines. We call these types of rhymes “rhyming couplets.” The Shakespearean sonnet always ends with a rhyming couplet.
5. Monorhyme: A monorhyme is when all the lines in one stanza or even an entire poem end in the same sound. The rhyme scheme can be designated as AAAA.
6. Enclosed rhyme: In an enclosed rhyme scheme, the first and fourth lines rhyme with each other, while the second and third lines also rhyme with each other. The rhyme scheme is ABBA.
7. Triplet: A triplet is when three lines in one stanza end in the same sound. The rhyme scheme is therefore AAA.
8. Limerick: This humorous poem comes in five lines and a rhyme scheme of AABBA.
Examples of Rhyme Scheme in Literature
Let’s look at a few more examples for a better understanding of rhyme schemes:
Example #1. “Sonnet 18” by William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? A
Thou art more lovely and more temperate: B
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, A
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date; B
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, C
And often is his gold complexion dimm’d; D
And every fair from fair sometime declines, C
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d; D
But thy eternal summer shall not fade, E
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st; F
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade, E
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st: F
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, G
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. G
Example #2. “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss
Do you like green eggs and ham? A
I do not like them, Sam-I-am. A
I do not like green eggs and ham. A
Would you like them here or there? B
I would not like them here or there. B
I would not like them anywhere. B
I do not like green eggs and ham. A
I do not like them, Sam-I-am. A
Example #3. “Excelsior” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The shades of night were falling fast, A
As through an Alpine village passed A
A youth, who bore, ‘mid snow and ice, B
A banner with the strange device, B
__Excelsior! C
His brow was sad; his eye beneath, D
Flashed like a falchion from its sheath, D
And like a silver clarion rung E
The accents of that unknown tongue, E
__Excelsior! C
Using Rhyme Schemes in Poetry
Rhyme and meter are two tools that make poems the musical experiences we enjoy so much. When you use regular rhyme in a set pattern, it makes it easier to remember the lines in your poem, and also lets you give your audience a predictable, expectant pleasure.
While rhyme scheme is not something that readers will normally pick out, your own decision in choosing which lines should rhyme will give your poem artistic structure.
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- How to Analyze a Poem: 8 Tips for Understanding Poetry
- Introduction to Metaphors: Poetry in Motion
- Rhythm in Literature: Definition, Examples, and How to Create Your Own
- How to Write Song Lyrics in 5 Simple Steps
Yen Cabag is the Blog Writer of TCK Publishing. She is also a homeschooling mom, family coach, and speaker for the Charlotte Mason method, an educational philosophy that places great emphasis on classic literature and the masterpieces in art and music. She has also written several books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her passion is to see the next generation of children become lovers of reading and learning in the midst of short attention spans.
Hello
Does a word rhyme with itself
Example: Water Water
Guide me through poetic devices
how do you categorize the rhyming scheme of a poem that uses:
Stanza 1:
A
B
C
D
Stanza 2
A
B
C
D
?
Hi! I found this article to be very helpful! Thank you :)
I would like to know if you could help me determine the rhyme scheme or form of this poem by John Clare?
‘Tis evening; the black snail has got on his track,
And gone to its nest is the wren,
And the packman snail, too, with his home on his back,
Clings to the bowed bents like a wen.
The shepherd has made a rude mark with his foot
Where his shadow reached when he first came,
And it just touched the tree where his secret love cut
Two letters that stand for love’s name.
The evening comes in with the wishes of love,
And the shepherd he looks on the flowers,
And thinks who would praise the soft song of the dove,
And meet joy in these dew-falling hours.
For Nature is love, and finds haunts for true love,
Where nothing can hear or intrude;
It hides from the eagle and joins with the dove,
In beautiful green solitude.
I’m having a real hard time with it, especially since the first and third line of the second stanza stands out as they are the only ones who do not rhyme.
A
B
A
B
C
D
E
D
F
G
F
G
F
I
F
I
i am not fully sure but according to me this is the rhyming scheme
I am also confused with second stanza.
I am not good at rhyming scheme, but this article had help me improve, thank you.
Amazingly helpful. Thanks a lot.
You’re very welcome, we’re so glad you found the post helpful! :)
It’s helpful ☺️ thank you mam
You’re very welcome Sue, we’re glad you found this post helpful!
Hi Kaelyn! I understood a lot from your article, however, I still have a tiny doubt if you could help.
in this poem, I’m interpreting, the first stanza has 4 lines. the 4 ending words of those lines, in order, are: sang, young, cradle, swung.
So, will the rhyme scheme be: ABCB or AABA?
I’m confused because sang, young and swung have a similar /ng/ sound at the end, but different before it: /æ/ and /ʌ/.
Please reply soon.
Hi pozzo, this one’s tricky, but I think I’d label it as ABCB. I think it would be a stretch to argue sang rhymes with young or swung.
Hi I need help with my poem:
A. Write down the first ten words you think of and then use each word in one line of your poem.
B.Use your school name, mascot, and colors to write a rhyming school spirit chant.
C. Write an original song.
Hi Shahnoza! We have a post on how to write a poem that might help :)
How about this:
The day children were born
The day your faith was shaken
The day you made a decision to give up on something or someone you love
The day you were turned down
The day your hope was replaced
The day you lost your loved ones
A day you had laughed through tears
A day someone surprised you with kindness and joyful
The day you put effort that ended in deep humiliation
The day you put effort that had ended in triumph or joy
I think this is probably free verse since I don’t see a very clear pattern :)
Thank you it helped me alot :D
This was so helpful I feel excited right now I understood ever bit of it thanks Kaelyn Barron
Glad you found the post helpful! :)
What about this?
C is for the candy trimmed around the Christmas tree
H is for the happiness with all the family
R is for the reindeer prancing by the window pane
I is for the icing on the cake as sweet as sugar cane
S is for stocking hanging on the chimney wall
T is for the toys beneath the tree so tall
M is for the mistletoe where everyone is kissed
A is for angels who make up the Christmas list
S for the santa who makes every kid his pet
Be good and he’ll bring you everything in your Christmas alphabet
Hi Nays, the rhyme scheme for this is AA/BB/CC/DD/EE
uhh this is a weird article you wrote, are you in kindergarten? YOU BABY, so many grammatical mistakes. how did you even graduate, you suck.
Hi Alexandra, which mistakes are you referring to?
Why do you need to be so aggressive? And there were no grammatical mistakes.
This is extraordinarily helpful. I was not taught in school and my students now ask me to teach them. But this has served as a way out and an additional knowledge. Thank you
We’re so glad you found the post helpful Adekanmbi, and we hope your students do too!
Thanks so much it helped me alot in my exam:)
You’re very welcome Nour, I’m so glad to hear it helped you with your exam! :)
It helps a lot
so glad you found the post helpful!:)
Thanks it helped me a lot
glad you found the post helpful Sara!
Yes ,very helpful indeed
So glad you found it helpful, Musemi! :)
First of all, I am grateful for your insightful, understandable and knowledgeable blog about the rhyming scheme of the poems. I wasn’t taught about this stuff in school nor in college. Now I have been preparing for competitive examples a question was asked in the past paper about the Same content . I struggled a lot to solve however while surfing through the goggle pages ,ur blog came across.
It would help me a lot. I am thankful to you for your great endeavour.
Hi Pappu, thanks for your comment! We’re so glad you found Yen’s post helpful :) Thanks for reading!
Yes. It gave me better insight as to how the rhyming scheme works. Congrats.
so glad you found it helpful for understanding rhyme scheme! :)
Impressive.very helpful
Glad the post was helpful for you, Muhammad! :)
In writing the poem
Hello. Wondering if you can help. I’m teaching The Tyger by Blake. I’ve seen different people describe the rhyme scheme different ways. In short, do you change the letter each new stanza (below) or do AABB again.
Tyger Tyger, burning bright, A
In the forests of the night; A
What immortal hand or eye, B
Could frame thy fearful symmetry? B
In what distant deeps or skies. C
Burnt the fire of thine eyes? C
On what wings dare he aspire? D
What the hand, dare seize the fire? D
Hi Tricia, I was always taught that you should change the letter for new stanzas, as you did above :)
I’m 14 year old and I just started writing poems this year….would u like to see them.here is my email and whatsapp number
[email protected]
09016729053
Hi Ayoitunu, you can also share your poem here :)
This is not rhyme scheme. Its the rhyme pattern.
Hi Shola, they’re actually the same (rhyme scheme is also sometimes referred to as “rhyme scheme pattern”).
In 1962-63, my senior year of high school, I wrote as an assignment this poem which has 12 stanzas of 6 lines then ending with a 3 line closer. The 6 stanzas have a rhyming scheme of ABABBA and the closer is AAA. I came across this again in 2017 and I made a note saying I do not recall if the original had a name but I named the poem Guardians of Freedom. I would like to know how I would describe this poem and how to describe the pattern if it has a name. Here is first stanza–
Never save once has this earth been free;
Free from all sin, pure within
The realm of this mighty earth and sea.
And today might still have been
Had greed shunned the minds of men,
For a perfect world ’twas meant to be.
Hi J Dwayne, thanks for sharing your poem! I don’t think the poem as a whole represents a specific type, but we can say that your quatrain (ABBA) has an enclosed rhyme. Lovely poem, by the way!
Thank you for this piece. It’s helping me in my journey to becoming a poet
I’m so glad you found it helpful, Danny!
I give you high honours for writing such an important article on rhyme schemes. I’m really grateful for this knowledgeable writing. Through this, I find myself able to determine rhyme scheme of any of the poem. Heads off to you. Plz keep writing such articles.. Thank you so much.
Dear Mam,
I express my sincere gratitude for you for your precious writing on Rhyme Scheme.I am enriched having read your writing and confident to teach my students in English classes.I am awfully thankful to you Mam.Regards
thanks for your comment, Abhishek! We’re glad you found the post helpful :)
We’re so glad you found this post on rhyme scheme helpful, Devendra :)
Dear Mam,
I express my sincere gratitude for you for your precious writing on Rhyme Scheme.I am enriched having read your writing and confident to teach my students in English classes.I am awfully thankful to you Mam.Regards.
Very Beautiful and well-knit writing Mam.Effusive Thanks Mam.Very much beneficial in classroom teaching.May God bless you Mam.
Thank you once again for your kind help.
Keep writing such informative article for us Mam..please. Regards.
thanks Manasi, we’re so glad you found Yen’s article helpful! :)