Internal Rhymes
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In
poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
, internal rhyme, or middle rhyme, is
rhyme A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds (usually the exact same phonemes) in the final Stress (linguistics), stressed syllables and any following syllables of two or more words. Most often, this kind of rhyming (''perfect rhyming'') is consciou ...
that occurs within a single line of verse, or between internal phrases across multiple lines. By contrast, rhyme between line endings is known as end rhyme. Internal
rhyme scheme A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem or song. It is usually referred to by using letters to indicate which lines rhyme; lines designated with the same letter all rhyme with each other. An example of the ABAB rh ...
s can be denoted with spaces or commas between lines. For example, denotes a three-line poem with the same internal rhyme on each line, and the same end rhyme on each line (which does not rhyme with the internal rhyme).


Examples


Poetry

In the following
limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...
, each stressed syllable rhymes with another stressed syllable using one of three rhyme sets. Each rhyme set is indicated by a different highlight color. Note that the yellow rhyme set provides internal rhyme in lines 1, 2, and 5, and end rhymes in lines 3 and 4, but the blue set is entirely internal, and the pink is exclusively end rhymes.
Each time alie for a She well that her are the Of the , and it , But this will ex More than , so some gape and .
Samuel Taylor Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge ( ; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets with his friend William Wordsworth ...
's poem "
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner ''The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'' (originally ''The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere''), written by English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1797–98 and published in 1798 in the first edition of '' Lyrical Ballads'', is a poem that recounts th ...
" is filled with lines that include internal rhyme, such as "The guests are met, the feast is set"; "The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared"; and "It cracked and growled, and roared and howled". Internal rhymes were a trademark of 19th century English poet
Gerard Manley Hopkins Gerard Manley Hopkins (28 July 1844 – 8 June 1889) was an English poet and Society of Jesus, Jesuit priest, whose posthumous fame places him among the leading English poets. His Prosody (linguistics), prosody – notably his concept of sprung ...
, for instance, in "God's Grandeur":
Why do men then now not reck his rod? Generations have trod, have trod, have trod; And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil; And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.
Percy Dearmer Percival Dearmer (27 February 1867 – 29 May 1936) was an English Anglican priest and liturgist best known as the author of ''The Parson's Handbook'', a liturgical manual for Anglican clergy, and as editor of ''The English Hymnal''. A lifelong ...
(1867–1936) revised
John Bunyan John Bunyan (; 1628 – 31 August 1688) was an English writer and preacher. He is best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory ''The Pilgrim's Progress'', which also became an influential literary model. In addition to ''The Pilgrim' ...
's (1628–1688) poem "
To Be a Pilgrim "To Be a Pilgrim", also known as "He Who Would Valiant Be", is an English Christian hymn using words of John Bunyan in ''The Pilgrim's Progress'', first appearing in Part 2 of ''The Pilgrim's Progress'', written in 1684. An alternative variation o ...
" in 1906. It became a popular hymn when Charles Winfred Douglas (1867–1944) set it to music in 1917. Here are Dearmer's lyrics, with the internal rhymes in bold. Note that in the three
quatrains A quatrain is a type of stanza, or a complete poem, consisting of four lines. Existing in a variety of forms, the quatrain appears in poems from the poetic traditions of various ancient civilizations including Persia, Ancient India, Ancient Gree ...
, the internal rhymes are also echoed in the line rhymes (also in bold).
He who would valiant be 'gainst all disaster, Let him in constancy follow the Master. There’s no discouragement shall make him once relent His first avowed intent to be a pilgrim. Who so beset him round with dismal stories Do but themselves confound—his strength the more is. No foes shall stay his might; though he with giants fight, He will make good his right to be a pilgrim. Since, Lord, Thou dost defend us with Thy Spirit, We know we at the end, shall life inherit. Then fancies flee away! I’ll fear not what men say, I’ll labor night and day to be a pilgrim.


Popular music

In the comic operas that he wrote with
Arthur Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (13 May 1842 – 22 November 1900) was an English composer. He is best known for 14 comic opera, operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including ''H.M.S. Pinaf ...
,
W. S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most fam ...
(1836–1911) used internal rhymes in some of his song lyrics. For example, Bunthorne's solo aria from ''
Patience or forbearance, is the ability to endure difficult or undesired long-term circumstances. Patience involves perseverance or tolerance in the face of delay, provocation, or stress without responding negatively, such as reacting with disrespect ...
'' begins:
If you're anxious for to shine in the high aesthetic line As a man of culture rare, You must get up all the germs of the transcendental terms, And plant them everywhere. You must lie upon the daisies and discourse in novel phrases Of your complicated state of mind, The meaning doesn't matter if it's only idle chatter Of a transcendental kind.
Internal rhyme schemes were common in popular songs of the Swing Era. One illustration is the bridge from " Don't Fence Me In", which was written by
Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became Standard (music), standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway the ...
for the 1944 film ''
Hollywood Canteen The Hollywood Canteen operated at 1451 North Cahuenga Boulevard in the Los Angeles, California, neighborhood of Hollywood between October 3, 1942 and November 22, 1945, as a club offering food, dancing, and entertainment for enlisted men and ...
'':
Just turn me loose let me straddle my old saddle, Underneath the western skies, On my cayuse let me wander over yonder, 'Til I see the mountains rise.
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
often used internal rhymes in his lyrics such as in "
Subterranean Homesick Blues "Subterranean Homesick Blues" is a song by Bob Dylan, recorded on January 14, 1965, and released as a single by Columbia Records, catalogue number 43242, on March 8. It is the first track on the album ''Bringing It All Back Home'', released som ...
":
Ah get born, keep warm Short pants, romance, learn to dance Get dressed, get blessed
And "
Like a Rolling Stone "Like a Rolling Stone" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on July 20, 1965, by Columbia Records. Its confrontational lyrics originated in an extended piece of verse Dylan wrote in June 1965, when he returned exhauste ...
":
Once upon a time you dressed so fine You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you? People'd call, say, "Beware doll, you're bound to fall"
Other
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
,
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
, and
rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...
lyricists from the 1960s and the 1970s employed the technique more sparingly than Dylan such as
Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. He was the founder and frontman of the pioneering Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he ...
in "
The Tears of a Clown "The Tears of a Clown" is a song written by Hank Cosby, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder and originally recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for the Tamla Records label subsidiary of Motown, first appearing on the 1967 album '' Make It ...
" ("In order to shield my pride, I've tried") and
Carly Simon Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1943) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records; her 13 Billboard Hot 100, top 40 U.S. hits include "Anticipation (song), Anticipatio ...
in "
Anticipation Anticipation is an emotion involving pleasure or anxiety in considering or awaiting an expected event. Anticipatory emotions include fear, anxiety, hope, and trust. When the anticipated event fails to occur, it results in disappointment (for ...
" ("When I was thinking about how right tonight might be").


Rap and hip-hop

Internal rhyme is used extensively in rap and
hip-hop music Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music Music genre, genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African Americans, African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide r ...
, and it sometimes then overlaps with
assonance Assonance is the repetition of identical or similar phonemes in words or syllables that occur close together, either in terms of their vowel phonemes (e.g., ''lean green meat'') or their consonant phonemes (e.g., ''Kip keeps capes ''). However, in ...
. The usage of internal rhyme in rap has increased over time, but can be found even in the earliest rap songs, such as the
Sugarhill Gang Sugar Hill may refer to: Places In the United States: * Sugar Hill, Georgia, a city * Sugar Hill, New Hampshire, a town * Sugar Hill, Manhattan, New York, a section of Harlem * Sugar Hill, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * Sugar Hil ...
's 1979 single, "
Rapper's Delight "Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 rap song that serves as the debut single of American hip-hop trio the Sugarhill Gang, produced by Sylvia Robinson. Although it was shortly preceded by the Fatback Band's " King Tim III (Personality Jock)", "Rapper ...
":
I'm six-foot-one and I'm tons of fun and I dress to a T You see, I got more clothes than Muhammad Ali and I dress so viciously I got body guards, I got two big cars, I definitely ain't the whack I got a Lincoln Continental and a sun-roofed Cadillac So after school, I take a dip in the pool, which is really on the wall I got a color TV, so I can see the Knicks play basketball
Internal rhyme is used frequently by many different hip-hop artists, including
Kool Moe Dee Mohandas Dewese (born August 8, 1962), better known by his stage name Kool Moe Dee, is an American rapper, songwriter and actor. Considered one of the forerunners of the new jack swing sound in hip hop, he gained fame in the 1980s as a member of ...
,
Big Daddy Kane Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968), better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American Rapping, rapper, producer and actor who began his career in 1986 as a member of the Juice Crew. He is widely regarded as one of the most influe ...
,
Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...
, and
Rakim William Michael Griffin Jr. (born January 28, 1968), better known by his stage name Rakim (), is an American rapper. He is one half of Golden age hip-hop, golden age hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, with whom he released four albums: ''Paid in Full ...
, as is demonstrated in Eric B. and Rakim's 1987 piece, " My Melody" from their debut album '' Paid In Full'':
My unusual style will confuse you a while If I were water, I'd flow in the Nile So many rhymes you won't have time to go for yours Just because of applause I have to pause Right after tonight is when I prepare To catch another sucker-duck MC out there My strategy has to be tragedy, catastrophe And after this you'll call me your majesty...
Another prominent hip-hop artist who uses complex internal rhymes is AZ, as is shown in "The Format":
Young and gifted, my tongue's prolific In the beach bungalow is how I brung in Christmas To the streets I'mma flow from the hungriest districts Swiss kicks crisp when I come to them picnics Play slow, paper chase stack and lay low Range rove tinted all black the same old Psychic mind, righteous rhymes that turned a new leaf from a life of crime No concerns with new beef, who's as nice as I'm It's confirmed, from few feet I'm still a sniper blind Built my fame, spilt my pain Politicking daily, still trying to milk the game It's obvious that I'm real, rap skills remain I took some change and I'm still the same
Black Thought Tariq Luqmaan Trotter (born October 3, 1973), better known as Black Thought, is an American rapper, singer, actor and the lead Emcee (hip hop), MC of the hip hop group The Roots, which he co-founded with drummer Questlove in Philadelphia. Regar ...
, a rapper from
The Roots The Roots are an American Hip-hop, hip hop band formed in 1987 by singer Black Thought, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and drummer Questlove, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''T ...
, uses internal rhymes in the song "Respond/React":
The attractive assassin, blastin the devil trespassin Master gettin cash in an orderly fashion Message to the fake n**** flashin Slow up Ahk, before you get dropped and closed like a caption Fractional kids don't know the time for action Styles got the rhythm that of an Anglo-Saxon Round of applause, an avalanche of clappin that's what happen, now what's your reaction We heavyweight traction, pro-pornographin Specialize in science and math and, original black man Bustin thoughts that pierce your mental The fierce rippin your sacks and Vocal toe to toe impeccable splittin your back son Simple as addition and subtraction Black Thought, the infinite relaxed one Shorties say they love it with a passion Bring the international charm, see a squad I harass
MF Doom uses almost every word as internal rhyme in this verse in his song, "Figaro" (rhymes are highlighted):
It's , ? ? , but , , , Not through how with
Kool Keith Keith Matthew Thornton (born October 7, 1963), known professionally as Kool Keith, is an American rapper and record producer known for his surreal, abstract, and often profane or incomprehensible lyrics. Kool Keith has recorded prolifically both ...
uses internal rhyme heavily in his song "3000" and effectively throws off the listener:
As studies have shown; participator acts , And mess up water the that comes from the In the the you , ence What is you , ing Commercial in the , stuff on disc that's very That you , you think it's won't go inum Or even turn , sell the Your homey's tape You my , my chicken on the Open your and see Rap moves on to the year three thousand!
Bad Lip Reading Bad Lip Reading is a YouTube channel created and run by an anonymous producer who intentionally lip-reading, lip-reads video clips poorly, for comedic effect. ''Rolling Stone'' described the channel as "the breakout hit" of the 2012 United State ...
uses internal rhyme in their comedic son
“My Stick”
I disappear for years then reappear right here to cheer about my cool stick…


See also

* Off-centred rhyme *
Leonine verse Leonine verse is a type of versification based on an internal rhyme between a word within the line before a caesura and a word at the end, and commonly used in Latin verse of the European Middle Ages. The proliferation of such conscious rhymes, ...


References

{{Use British English Oxford spelling, date=July 2019 Rhyme