poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek '' poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings ...

, internal rhyme, or middle rhyme, is

rhyme A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds (usually, the exact same phonemes) in the final stressed syllables and any following syllables of two or more words. Most often, this kind of perfect rhyming is consciously used for a musical or aesthetic ...

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

The following example is in

limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

form. 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, whereas 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 .

Percy Dearmer Percival Dearmer (1867–1936) was an English 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 socialist, he was an early ad ...

(1867–1936) revised

John Bunyan John Bunyan (; baptised 30 November 162831 August 1688) was an English writer and Puritan preacher best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory ''The Pilgrim's Progress,'' which also became an influential literary model. In additio ...

'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. It first appeared in Part 2 of '' The Pilgrim's Progress'', written in 1684. The hymn recalls the words ...

" in 1906. It became a popular hymn when

Charles Winfred Douglas Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

(1867–1944) set it to music in 1917. Here are Dearmer's lyrics, with the internal rhymes in bold. Notice that in these three

quatrain 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 Gre ...

s 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.

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 rhyme in some of the songs of his operas. One notable example is that of Bunthorne's solo aria from the opera ''

Patience (or forbearance) is the ability to endure difficult circumstances. Patience may involve perseverance in the face of delay; tolerance of provocation without responding in disrespect/anger; or forbearance when under strain, especially when face ...

'', which 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

s were extremely common in popular song of the

Swing Era The swing era (also frequently referred to as the big band era) was the period (1933–1947) when big band swing music was the most popular music in the United States. Though this was its most popular period, the music had actually been aroun ...

. One familiar example is the bridge from " Don't Fence Me In", written by

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

for the film ''

Hollywood Canteen The Hollywood Canteen operated at 1451 Cahuenga Boulevard in the Los Angeles, California, neighborhood of Hollywood between October 3, 1942, and November 22, 1945 (Thanksgiving Day), as a club offering food, dancing and entertainment for servi ...

'' in 1944:

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.

Internal rhyme is used extensively in rap and hip-hop music, where it sometimes overlaps with

assonance Assonance is a resemblance in the sounds of words/syllables either between their vowels (e.g., ''meat, bean'') or between their consonants (e.g., ''keep, cape''). However, assonance between consonants is generally called ''consonance'' in America ...

. 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 (New York), a mountain in Schuyler County * Sugar Hill, ...

's 1979 single, "

Rapper's Delight "Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 hip-hop track by the Sugarhill Gang, produced by Sylvia Robinson. Although it was shortly preceded by the Fatback Band's " King Tim III (Personality Jock)", "Rapper's Delight" is credited for introducing hip-hop ...

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, writer 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 one ...

, Big Daddy Kane,

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 ...

, and

Rakim William Michael Griffin Jr. (born January 28, 1968), better known by his stage name Rakim Allah or simply Rakim (), is an American rapper and record producer. One half of golden age hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, he is widely regarded as one of ...

, as 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... allmusic ((( Rakim > Biography ))) Allmusic. Accessed May 22, 2008.

Another prominent hip-hop artist who uses complex internal rhymes is AZ, as 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, actor and the lead MC of the Philadelphia-based hip hop group the Roots, which he co-founded with drummer Questlove (Ahmir Thompson). Regarded ...

, rapper from

The Roots The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's '' The Tonight Show Starring Jimm ...

, 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

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developm ...

use internal rhyme in their song "

Hey Jude "Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a non-album single in August 1968. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The single was the Beatles' first relea ...

Hey Jude, don't make it bad Take a sad song and make it better Remember to let her into your heart Then you can start to make it better Hey Jude, don't be afraid You were made to go out and get her The minute you let her under your skin Then you begin to make it better

MF Doom Daniel Dumile ( ; July 13, 1971October 31, 2020), best known by his stage name MF Doom or simply Doom (both stylized in all caps), was a British-American rapper and record producer. Noted for his intricate wordplay, signature metal mask, and ...

uses almost every word as internal rhymes in this verse in his song, "Figaro". (Rhymes highlighted)

It's , ? ? , but , , , Not through how with

Kool Keith Keith Matthew Thornton (born October 7, 1963), better known by his stage name Kool Keith, is an American rapper and record producer from The Bronx, New York City, known for his surreal, abstract and often profane or incomprehensible lyrics. Kool ...

heavily utilises internal rhyme in his song "3000" to effectively throw 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!

References

Rhyme {{poetry-stub

Examples

See also

References