
It is helpful to keep in mind that a rhyme and other ‘sound effects’ or structures are rarely accidental and they even carry meaning. Shakespearean sonnet (as seen above): ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

Rhyme schemes are indicated with letters the absence of a rhyme is indicated by an x (e.g. It is interesting to point out that some of these eye rhymes (particularly in older English poems) are a result of historical pronunciation shifts and they used to rhyme phonetically in the past.Īside from knowing these different types of rhymes, it is also helpful to know that poems often follow rhyme schemes. This is called an eye rhyme because the words “rhyme” only because of their similar spelling, as the words are pronounced differently. This is especially important due to the existence of English words without rhymes.

The rhyming words sound similar but not identical. When we talk about slant rhymes, we are referring to words which do not rhyme completely. More easily put: the same word rhyming with itself is an identical rhyme. In fact, both the vowels of the final syllable, as well as the onset of the syllable are identical in the rhyming words. If you look at the transcription of the words ‘day’ and ‘May’ (or even ‘fiancé’), you will notice they exemplify this type of rhyme:Īn identical rhyme is very similar to an exact rhyme. We have an exact rhyme when the vowels of the final syllable in different words sound the same and the beginning of that final syllable differs.
