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Rhyme Scheme, Rhythm, and Meter
Relax, your ears already know what you’re
about to learn!
1
Rhyme Scheme
Students often have trouble with rhyme scheme because of the word
“scheme.” Outside of literature, one meaning of “scheme” is a plan for
cheating or getting something illegally.
 Example: The gang’s scheme for breaking into the museum
included disguises, a getaway car, and Krispy Kreme doughnuts to
distract the guard.
“Scheme,” though, has another definition: a system of things or an
arrangement.
 Example: The scheme for the irrigation system included pop-up
sprinklers, drip lines, and misters.
It’s the second definition that applies to “rhyme scheme.” When you
think of “rhyme scheme,” think “rhyme arrangement.”
2
Understanding Rhyme Scheme
Finding the rhyme scheme is easy.
Read the poem to the right. Notice the
coloring of the words at the ends of the
lines. All the words at the ends of the
lines that have the same sound are
shaded the same color.
“Sonnet 65” by William Shakespeare*
1.
2.
3.
4.
Now, if you were taking a test and
asked to show the rhyme scheme of
this sonnet, you’d have to get out
crayons or highlighters to show rhyme
scheme this way. That’s not practical.
There is an easier way to show rhyme
scheme using the alphabet.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea,
But sad mortality o'er-sways their power,
How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea,
Whose action is no stronger than a flower?
O, how shall summer's honey breath hold out
Against the wreckful siege of battering days,
When rocks impregnable are not so stout,
Nor gates of steel so strong, but Time decays?
O fearful meditation! where, alack,
Shall Time's best jewel from Time's chest lie hid?
Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back?
Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid?
O, none, unless this miracle have might,
That in black ink my love may still shine bright.
3
Showing Rhyme Scheme
Use the alphabet to show rhyme
scheme, instead of using colors.
Give every rhyme the same letter.
“Sonnet 65” by William Shakespeare
1.
Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea,
1.
A
2.
But sad mortality o'er-sways their power,
2.
B
3.
How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea,
3.
A
4.
Whose action is no stronger than a flower?
4.
B
5.
O, how shall summer's honey breath hold out
5.
C
6.
Against the wreckful siege of battering days,
6.
D
7.
When rocks impregnable are not so stout,
7.
C
8.
Nor gates of steel so strong, but Time decays?
8.
D
9.
O fearful meditation! where, alack,
9.
E
10.
Shall Time's best jewel from Time's chest lie hid?
10.
F
11.
Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back?
11.
E
12.
Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid?
12.
F
13.
O, none, unless this miracle have might,
13.
G
14.
That in black ink my love may still shine bright.
14.
G
If you were given the question,
“What is the rhyme scheme of
this poem and is it regular or
irregular?” you’re answer would
look like this:
•
The rhyme scheme of this
poem is
ABABCDCDEFEFGG. It
is a regular rhyme scheme
because the first and third
line of each quatrain
rhyme, as do the second
and fourth. The final
couplet also rhymes.
You might be saying to yourself,
“OK, I get rhyme scheme, but
what good does it do me?” The
answer, dear friend, is on the
next slide.
4
What’s the Point of Rhyme Scheme?
Think of rhyme scheme as a secret
code that will help you unlock the
poet’s meaning.
“Sonnet 65” by William Shakespeare
Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea,
1.
A
But sad mortality o'er-sways their power,
2.
B
How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea,
3.
A
Whose action is no stronger than a flower?
4.
B
O, how shall summer's honey breath hold out
5.
C
Against the wreckful siege of battering days,
6.
D
When rocks impregnable are not so stout,
7.
C
Nor gates of steel so strong, but Time decays?
8.
D
O fearful meditation! where, alack,
9.
E
Shall Time's best jewel from Time's chest lie hid?
10.
F
Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back?
11.
E
Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid?
12.
F
O, none, unless this miracle have might,
13.
G
That in black ink my love may still shine bright.
14.
G
Shakespearean sonnets all follow the same
form:
•
Each has 14 lines.
•
There are 3 quatrains that express
related ideas.
•
There is the ending couplet that sums
up the author’s point or makes a
conclusion.
•
The rhyme scheme is almost always the
same.
The first quatrain (4 lines) points out that hard
objects and even the sea are changed over
time.
The second quatrain gives more examples,
such as sweet summer air, rocks, and steel,
that decay over time.
In the third quatrain he wonders how beauty
can hide from Time.
In the couplet, he hopes that this black ink—
this sonnet—will preserve his partner’s beauty.
5
Rhythm Part 1
Rhythm is the musical quality of language produced by repetition, especially in poetry (also
called “verse”). Many literary elements create rhythm, including alliteration, assonance,
consonance, meter, repetition, and rhyme.
Meter is a generally regular pattern of stressed ( / ) and unstressed ( ) syllables in poetry
or verse. Just as we can measure distance in meters, we can measure the beats in a poem
in meter.
Let’s say that you’re good at music and that I’m not. I want you to create some music for me
with a certain beat. This is the beat that I want:

lub-DUB lub-DUB lub-DUB lub-DUB lub-DUB
It would get irritating after a while to have to keep saying “lub-DUB” every time I wanted to
ask you to use this rhythm. There’s got to be an easier way. There is! Just go to the next
slide.
6
Rhythm Part 2
In the beat below, notice that there are five different measures or units to it.
1

2
3
4
5
lub-DUB lub-DUB lub-DUB lub-DUB lub-DUB
Each unit or measure is made of two separate beats. That means that the whole line has 10
total beats (5 x 2 = 10). The first beat is softer than the second beat. I can use markings to
show the softer and harder (unaccented and accented) beats.

lub-DUB lub-DUB lub-DUB lub-DUB lub-DUB
Sometimes, though, I’m going to want you to reverse the beat:

DUB-lub DUB-lub DUB-lub DUB-lub DUB-lub
Still, having to do all those markings would take time. Too bad there isn’t an easier way to
talk about beats. There is! I could name them. I could name them anything I want. I could
name lub-DUB “Fred,” and DUB-lub “Barney.” However, if everyone didn’t use the same
names to represent the same beats, it would get confusing. Well, these beats do have
names, as you will see on the next slide.
7
Rhythm Part 3
“Iamb” is the name of the meter lub-DUB as in the word convince. Notice that each syllable
must be marked.
“Trochee” is the name of the meter DUB-lub as in the word borrow.
Other types of meter have their own names, too:

“Anapest” is the name of the meter lub-lub-DUB as in the world contradict.

“Dactyl” is the name of the meter DUB-lub-lub as in the word accurate.

“Spondee” is the name of the meter DUB-DUB as in the word seaweed.

There are lots of other names for different meters, but that’s enough for now.
If a poem mostly has iambs, it is called “iambic.” Have you learned that Shakespeare wrote
most of his plays and poems in iambic pentameter? The next slide will tell you what that
term means.
8
Rhythm Part 4
“Iamb” is the name of the meter lub-DUB as in the word convince. Notice that
each syllable must be marked.
“Pentameter” begins with the prefix “pent,” which refers to the number 5 (e.g.,
pentagram and pentagon). The root word “meter” refers to measurement.
Something in “iambic pentameter” has five measures of lub-DUB. Example:

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
Read the above line aloud and put more stress on the syllables with the accent
marks.
9
Rhythm Part 5
How does understanding meter help you understand a poem? If the meter is
very simple, like that in a children’s book, that will help you know that the
message or theme of the poem is probably humorous. A complicated meter
might indicate a more complicated theme.
Just as a poet might change the rhyme scheme for a specific purpose, a change
in meter might indicate that the poet is trying to change the topic or make some
other type of transition. Shakespeare usually had his noble characters (e.g.,
kings, queens, generals, etc.) speak in iambic pentameter, but his lower
characters (e.g., servants and peasants) would speak in regular language.
If you’re wondering why Shakespeare chose to write in iambs, maybe it’s
because the iamb is the rhythm of the heart beat!
10
Meter
Two Syllable Poetic Rhythm Examples
Iambic (x / )
Trochaic (/ x)
Spondaic (/ /)
Three Syllable Poetic Rhythm Examples
Anapestic (x x /)
Dactylic (/ x x)
Poetic Meter
Poetic Meter is determined by the number of feet in a line of poetry or the number of
occurrences of a given Poetic Rhythm in a line. There are generally between 1 and 8 feet in
a line of poetry.
Monometer 1 Foot per Line
Dimeter 2 Feet per Line
Trimeter 3 Feet per Line
Tetrameter 4 Feet per Line
Pentameter 5 Feet per Line
Hexameter 6 Feet per Line
Heptameter 7 Feet per Line
Octameter 8 Feet per Line
11
Definitions.
Alliteration = the repeating of the same or very similar consonant sounds usually at the beginnings of words
that are close together

Examples: Betty Botta bought some butter. “But,” said she, “this butter’s bitter.”
Allusion = a reference to a person, place, event, or thing from history, literature, sports, religion, mythology,
politics, etc. to make a point

Example: “I had a terrible game today. I shot like Shaq.” This is an allusion because if the listener
knows who Shaq is and how poorly he shoots free throws, then the listener will know just how bad the
speaker is.
Assonance = the repeating of similar vowel sounds followed by different consonant sounds in words that
are close together

Example: An abbot on an ambling pad….
Consonance = the repeating of final consonants after different vowel sounds in words that are close
together

Examples: East and west dug the dog…
Couplet = two adjacent lines of poetry that rhyme
Quatrain = a group of four lines unified by rhyme scheme
Repetition = the repeating of any words, phrases, or sounds
Rhyme

End Rhyme = the repeating of similar vowel sounds at the ends of lines

Example:
I don’t think I will ever see
A sight as lovely as a tree.

Internal Rhyme = the repeating of similar vowel sounds within lines

Examples:
The cat in the hat sure got fat off mice and rice.
12
Rhyme Scheme/ Meter
From "Intimations of Immortality," by William Wordsworth
.........1...............2.................3.....................4......................5
There WAS..|..a TIME..|..when MEAD..|..ow, GROVE,..|..and STREAM,
.........1................2...............3................4.
The EARTH,..|..and EV..|..ry COM..|..mon SIGHT,
.....1..............2
To ME..|..did SEEM
......1..............2.............3...............4
ApPAR..|..elled IN..|..cel EST..|..ial LIGHT,
........1..............2.................3................4.................5
The GLOR..|..y AND..|..the FRESH..|..ness OF..|..a DREAM.
..1.............2.............3.............4..................5
It IS..|..not NOW..|..as IT..|..hath BEEN..|..of YORE;
........1....................2.............3
Turn WHERE..|..so E'ER..|..I MAY,
.......1..............2
By NIGHT..|..or DAY,
..........1...............2.................3................4................5..............6
The THINGS..|..which I..|..have SEEN..|..I NOW..|..can SEE..|..no MORE
13
Answer: Mixed Meter w/
Iambic Feet
From "The Tyger," by William Blake
....1.............2...............3.................4
TY ger..|..TY ger..|..BURN
ning..|..BRIGHT
....1...............2...............3............4
IN the..|..FOR..ests..|..OF the..|..NIGHT
14
Answer:Trochaic Tetrameter
Romeo Juliet Act 2 Scene 2
But, soft! what light through yonder
window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That thou her maid art far more fair than
she:
Be not her maid, since she is envious;
Her vestal livery is but sick and green
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
15
Answer: Iambic Pentameter
The Phoenix and the Turtle
Reason, in itself confounded,
Saw division grow together,
To themselves yet either neither,
Simple were so well compounded.
16
Answer: Trochaic Tetrameter
The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe
Once upon a midnight dreary, while
I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious
volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping,
suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping,
rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered,
`tapping at my chamber door Only this, and nothing more.'
17
Answer: Trochaic Octameter
18
Ode on a Grecian Urn
By: John Keats
19