Rhyme
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in the final stressed syllables and any following syllables of two or more words. Most often, this kind of rhyming is consciously used for a musical or aesthetic effect in the final position of lines within poems or songs. The word rhyme has come to be sometimes used as a shorthand term for any brief poem, such as a nursery rhyme or Balliol rhyme. Perfect rhymes occur when their final stressed vowel and all following sounds are identical. Examples include sight and flight, deign and gain, madness and sadness, love and dove. Rhyme partly seems to be enjoyed simply as a repeating pattern that is pleasant to hear. It serves as a powerful mnemonic device, facilitating short-term memory. The regular use of tail rhyme helps to mark off the ends of lines, thus clarifying the metrical structure for the listener.
The word derives from terms which might be derived from a Germanic term meaning series or sequence attested in Old English. Old English meant enumeration, series, or numeral. Alternatively, the Old French words may derive from rhythm. The spelling rhyme was introduced at the beginning of the Modern English period from a scholarly but likely etymologically incorrect association with Latin. The older spelling rime survives in Modern English as a rare alternative. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner uses this variant. A distinction between the spellings is also sometimes made in the study of linguistics and phonology. Some prefer to spell it rime to distinguish it from the poetic rhyme covered by this article. This technical usage refers to the nucleus and coda of a syllable.
Perfect rhymes can be classified by the location of the final stressed syllable. Single rhymes, also known as masculine, place stress on the final syllable of the words. Double rhymes, also known as feminine, place stress on the penultimate syllable of the words. Dactylic rhymes place stress on the antepenultimate syllable. Feminine and dactylic rhymes may also be realized as compound or mosaic rhymes. General rhymes refer to various kinds of phonetic similarity between words. Syllabic rhymes sound the same in the last syllable but do not necessarily contain stressed vowels. Imperfect rhymes occur between a stressed and an unstressed syllable. Weak rhymes happen between two sets of one or more unstressed syllables. Semirhymes have an extra syllable on one word. Forced rhymes are imperfect matches in sound. Assonance matches vowels while consonance matches consonants. Half rhymes match final consonants. Pararhyme makes all consonants match. Alliteration matches initial consonants. Rhymes may be classified according to their position in the verse. Tail rhyme is a rhyme in the final syllables of a verse. Internal rhyme occurs when a word or phrase in the interior of a line rhymes with a word or phrase at the end of a line.
The earliest surviving evidence of rhyming is the Chinese Shi Jing from around the 10th century BCE. Rhyme became a permanent even obligatory feature of poetry in Hebrew language around the 4th century CE. It is found in the Jewish liturgical poetry written in the Byzantine empire era. This was realized by scholars only recently, thanks to the thousands of piyyuts that have been discovered in the Cairo Geniza. The principle of rhyme was transferred from Hebrew liturgical poetry to the poetry of the Syriac Christianity written in Aramaic. Through this mediation it introduced into Latin poetry and then into all other languages of Europe. In classical Greek and Latin poetry, rhyme was only an occasional feature. Catullus includes partial rhymes in the poem Cui dono lepidum novum libellum. Rhyme entered European poetry in the High Middle Ages under the influence of the Arabic language in Al Andalus. Arabic language poets used rhyme extensively from the first development of literary Arabic in the sixth century. They wrote long, rhyming qasidas. In the 7th century, the Irish had brought the art of rhyming verses to a high pitch of perfection. The leonine verse is notable for introducing rhyme into High Medieval literature in the 12th century.
Rhymes were widely spread in the Arabic language in pre-Islamic times, in letters, poems and songs. The Quran uses a form of rhymed prose named saj'. Rhyming in the Celtic languages takes a drastically different course from most other Western rhyming schemes. Brian Ó Cuív sets out the rules of rhyme in Irish poetry of the classical period. The last stressed vowel and any subsequent long vowels must be identical in order for two words to rhyme. Consonants are grouped into six classes for the purpose of rhyme. They need not be identical but must belong to the same class. Chinese rhymes often include tone quality as an integral linguistic factor in determining rhyme. Old English poetry is mostly alliterative verse. One of the earliest rhyming poems in English is The Rhyming Poem. In French poetry it is common to have identical rhymes where onset consonants also match. Classical French prosody considers final silent e an integral part of the rhyme even when following the vowel. Rhyme was introduced into Russian poetry in the 18th century. Folk poetry had generally been unrhymed relying more on dactylic line endings for effect. Two words ending in an accented vowel are only considered to rhyme if they share a preceding consonant.
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Common questions
What is the definition of rhyme in poetry and music?
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in the final stressed syllables and any following syllables of two or more words. This kind of rhyming is consciously used for a musical or aesthetic effect in the final position of lines within poems or songs.
When did the word rhyme enter English language history?
The spelling rhyme was introduced at the beginning of the Modern English period from a scholarly but likely etymologically incorrect association with Latin. The older spelling rime survives in Modern English as a rare alternative, such as in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
Where does the earliest surviving evidence of rhyming originate?
The earliest surviving evidence of rhyming is the Chinese Shi Jing from around the 10th century BCE. Rhyme became a permanent even obligatory feature of Hebrew language poetry around the 4th century CE.
How do perfect rhymes differ from imperfect rhymes?
Perfect rhymes occur when their final stressed vowel and all following sounds are identical. Imperfect rhymes occur between a stressed and an unstressed syllable while weak rhymes happen between two sets of one or more unstressed syllables.
Why is rhyme considered important in linguistic studies?
Rhyme serves as a powerful mnemonic device facilitating short-term memory and helps clarify metrical structure for the listener through regular use of tail rhyme. It also functions as a repeating pattern that is pleasant to hear across various languages including Arabic, Irish, and French.