Understanding Rhyme and Meter

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.

“Sonnet 65” by William Shakespeare*

1. Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea,2. But sad mortality o'er-sways their power,3. How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea,4. Whose action is no stronger than a flower?5. O, how shall summer's honey breath hold out6. Against the wreckful siege of battering days,7. When rocks impregnable are not so stout,8. Nor gates of steel so strong, but Time decays?9. O fearful meditation! where, alack,10. Shall Time's best jewel from Time's chest lie hid?11. Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back?12. Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid?13. O, none, unless this miracle have might,14. That in black ink my love may still shine bright.

Read the poem below. 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. Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea,

2. But sad mortality o'er-sways their power,

3. How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea,

4. Whose action is no stronger than a flower?

5. O, how shall summer's honey breath hold out

6. Against the wreckful siege of battering days,

7. When rocks impregnable are not so stout,

8. Nor gates of steel so strong, but Time decays?

9. O fearful meditation! where, alack,

10. Shall Time's best jewel from Time's chest lie hid?

11. Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back?

12. Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid?

13. O, none, unless this miracle have might,

14. That in black ink my love may still shine bright.

Use the alphabet to show rhyme scheme, instead of using colors. Give every rhyme the same letter.

1. A

2. B

3. A

4. B

5. C

6. D

7. C

8. D

9. E

10. F

11. E

12. F

13. G

14. G

Showing Rhyme Scheme

Why is rhyme and meter important?

1.Unifies a poem2.Links one concept to another, helping to determine structure3.Ideas are often thematically linked4.A new rhyme pattern can signify a departure in ideas

(1) how rigid it is (2) how closely it conforms to a predetermined rhyme scheme and especially (3) what function it serves

Slant Rhyme = A partial or imperfect rhyme, often using assonance or consonance only.

Example: Or the legal luxury life, rings flooded with stones, homes, I got so many rhymes I don’t think I’m too sane, Life is parallel to hell but I must maintain,

And be prosperous, though we live dangerous, Cops could just arrest me, blamin’ us, we’re held like hostages

NAS “New York State of Mind”

Free Verse

Blank Verse

Meter – rhythm established in a poem

1.Syllables 2. Accents

Rhythm is often described as a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.

1. Learning the symbols of meter.

U = unstressed

/ = stressed

2nd – Find the pattern

U / = iambic convince

/ U = trochaic borrow

U U / = anapestic contradict

/ U U = dactylic accurate

/ / U = spondaic seaweed

3rd – You need to know that each pattern is a foot. How many feet do you have?

ONE FOOT - monometer

TWO FEET - dimeter

THREE FEET - trimeter

FOUR FEET - tetrameter

FIVE FEET – pentameter

SIX FEET – hexameter

SEVEN FEET - heptameter

EIGHT FEET - octometer

Now all you need to do is put the two together!!

Ex. //U //U //U = spondaic trimeter

U/ U/ U/ U/

/U /U /U /U /U

UU/