What Is a Rhyme Scheme? | Definition & Examples
A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem or song. This pattern is notated by labeling the lines that rhyme with each other with the same letter; for example, an ABBA rhyme scheme indicates that the first line rhymes with the fourth one, and the second line rhymes with the third.
Violets are blue, (B)
Sugar is sweet (C)
And so are you. (B)
This nursery rhyme follows an ABCB rhyme scheme, with “blue” and “you” rhyming.
Rhyme schemes help poets create rhythm, structure their thoughts, and make their work more memorable.
Rhyme scheme definition
A rhyme scheme identifies and explains which lines rhyme with other lines in a poem or song. A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds at the ends of words. Rhymes can occur at different points in a poem, such as end rhymes (at the end of a line) or internal rhymes (within a line). Rhyme schemes, however, refer specifically to the pattern of end rhymes in poetry—the sounds that occur at the end of lines.
It is important to note that some poems do not have a rhyme scheme. For example, blank verse does not rhyme but follows a specific meter (usually iambic pentameter), and free verse has neither consistent rhyme nor meter. Poems that have a rhyme scheme are written in formal verse, adhering to a specific meter or rhythmic pattern.
How to label a rhyme scheme
When describing rhyme schemes, we use letters to denote which lines rhyme with each other. The first end sound is labeled “A,” and any subsequent lines that rhyme with it also receive this letter. New end sounds receive new letters in alphabetical order.
Rhyme scheme examples
Rhyme schemes provide structure and rhythm to poetry, making it more melodic and memorable. Below, we explore how different poems use rhyme schemes.
Rhyme scheme in poetry
In the following poem by Robert Frost, the rhyme scheme helps reinforce the poem’s contrasting elements of fire and ice.
Some say in ice. (B)
From what I’ve tasted of desire (A)
I hold with those who favor fire. (A)
But if it had to perish twice, (B)
I think I know enough of hate (C)
To say that for destruction ice (B)
Is also great (C)
And would suffice. (B)
Limerick rhyme scheme
Some poetic forms dictate specific rhyme schemes and set certain expectations for readers, which poets can either fulfill or subvert for effect. A limerick is such an example; it is a five-line humorous poem that uses a distinctive rhyme scheme (AABBA) and rhythmic pattern (a bouncy, da-DA-da-DA beat that gives limericks their characteristic swing).
Who said, ‘It is just as I feared!’ (A)
Two Owls and a Hen, (B)
Four Larks and a Wren, (B)
Have all built their nests in my beard! (A)
Shakespearean sonnet rhyme scheme
The Shakespearean sonnet consists of three quatrains and a concluding couplet that ties everything together, rhyming ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.
In Sonnet 116 below, each quatrain explores the characteristics of true love. The first quatrain dismisses obstacles to the union of true minds; the second compares true love to a guiding star—steadfast and reliable; the third highlights love’s resilience against time. The concluding couplet emphasizes the poet’s conviction that if such love can be proven false, then no one has ever truly loved.
Admit impediments. Love is not love (B)
Which alters when it alteration finds, (A)
Or bends with the remover to remove. (B)
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark (C)
That looks on tempests and is never shaken; (D)
It is the star to every wandering bark, (C)
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken. (D)
Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks (E)
Within his bending sickle’s compass come: (F)
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, (E)
But bears it out even to the edge of doom. (F)
If this be error and upon me proved, (G)
I never writ, nor no man ever loved. (G)
Types of rhyme schemes
Poetry features numerous rhyme schemes, each creating different effects and often associated with specific poetic forms. Below are some common rhyme schemes:
- Alternate rhyme (ABAB): Rhymes every other line and is common in ballads and quatrains (a four-line stanza).
- Enclosed rhyme (ABBA): Features one rhyming pair in the middle of another rhyming pair.
- Coupled rhyme (AABB): A pattern in which rhymes occur in pairs called couplets.
- Monorhyme (AAAA): A rhyming scheme where all lines in the poem or stanza end with the same rhyme.
- Simple four-line rhyme (ABCB): Describes a common pattern in which only the second and fourth lines rhyme.
- Chain rhyme (ABA BCB CDC): A rhyme scheme where rhymes carry over from one stanza to the next.
- Sonnet: A 14-line poem with a variable rhyme scheme. There are different types of sonnets; for example, the Petrarchan sonnet, named after the Italian poet Petrarch, divides the 14 lines into two sections: an eight-line stanza (octave) rhyming ABBAABBA, and a six-line stanza (sestet) rhyming CDCDCD or CDECDE.
- Rubaiyat (AABA): A traditional Persian verse form consisting of a collection of quatrains, typically rhyming in the pattern of AABA. The term “rubaiyat” comes from the Arabic word for “quatrain.”
- Villanelle is a highly structured poem with five three-line stanzas (called tercets) that follow a rhyme scheme of ABA. It ends with a four-line stanza or quatrain with the pattern ABAA. An example of the form is Dylan Thomas’s “Do not go gentle into that good night.”
Keep in mind that this list is not exhaustive. Also, poets sometimes choose to depart from standard rhyme schemes.
How to find the rhyme scheme in a poem
You can easily identify a poem’s rhyme scheme by following these steps:
- Read the poem aloud to identify which words actually rhyme based on pronunciation (not spelling). Focus on the end sounds only.
- Start with the first line and label it “A.” For each subsequent line, determine if its ending matches any previous line; if it does, use the same letter; if it does not match, assign the next letter in the alphabet.
- Look for patterns within stanzas, as poets often repeat rhyme schemes in each stanza. Analyze each stanza separately.
- Consider near rhymes and slant rhymes. Sometimes you will encounter similar but not identical sounds. Decide whether to count these as rhymes based on how close they sound.
- Write out the sequence of letters to identify the rhyme scheme. Check if it matches a traditional form like a sonnet (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG) or villanelle (ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA ABAA).
- Connect the rhyme scheme to meaning. How does the rhyme scheme contribute to the poem’s meaning, tone, or emotional impact? Does it create cohesion, emphasis, or contrast?
- Note any deviations. If a poem mostly follows a pattern but breaks it at a certain point, this is probably intentional, and it is worth examining its meaning.
Let’s consider “Hope is the thing with feathers” by Emily Dickinson. This is an example of a mixed rhyme scheme, meaning that a poem does not follow a single consistent pattern throughout all stanzas.
That perches in the soul, (B)
And sings the tune without the words, (C)
And never stops at all, (B)
And sweetest in the gale is heard; (D)
And sore must be the storm (E)
That could abash the little bird (D)
That kept so many warm. (E)
I’ve heard it in the chillest land,(F)
And on the strangest sea; (G)
Yet, never, in extremity, (G)
It asked a crumb of me. (G)
Here is the rhyme scheme:
- First stanza: ABCB
- Second stanza: DEDE
- Third stanza: FGGG
The alternating rhyme pattern in the first two stanzas (ABCB and DEDE) shows some consistency in approach but then shifts to a different pattern with the triple rhyme (FGGG) in the final stanza. This variation helps signal the poem’s conclusion and emphasizes the final thought about hope’s selflessness. Note that “soul” and “all” in the first stanza are imperfect rhymes but share enough sound similarity to function as rhymes in the scheme.
Frequently asked questions about rhyme scheme
- What is the rhyme scheme of a limerick?
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The rhyme scheme of a limerick is AABBA. This means that the first, second, and last lines rhyme with each other (A), while the third and fourth lines rhyme with each other (B).
- What is the rhyme scheme of a Petrarchan sonnet?
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The rhyme scheme of a Petrarchan sonnet is usually ABBA ABBA CDE CDE. The Petrarchan sonnet consists of two parts or stanzas:
- An octave (8 lines): here, the rhyme scheme is typically ABBA ABBA. This part introduces the reader to a problem or conflict.
- A sestet (6 lines): here the rhyme scheme follows the pattern CDE CDE or CDC DCD. The sestet provides the solution to the problem introduced in the octave– this is why they have separate rhyme schemes.
- What is a poem with fourteen lines and a mixed rhyme scheme?
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A poem with fourteen lines and a mixed rhyme scheme is most likely a sonnet, particularly a variant of the traditional sonnet forms. There are three main types of sonnets, each with its corresponding rhyme scheme:
- The Petrarchan or Italian sonnet (ABBA ABBA CDE CDE or ABBA ABBA CDC DCD)
- The Shakespearean or English sonnet (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG)
- The Spenserian sonnet (ABAB BCBC CDCD EE)
There are also modern or contemporary sonnets that often experiment with various rhyme schemes or may even use slant rhymes or no rhyme at all.
