I’ve been thinking about the different kinds of rhyme. A poem I wrote recently in French was criticised by a French friend, a retired professor of phonetics, because I used
attend à tour de rôle
l’appel comme porte-parole
as a full rhyme, when the pronunciation is slightly different by reason of the circumflex accent. He said it wasn’t even a proper eye-rhyme. These French academics can be awfully pernickety! I argued that a half-rhyme was more valuable than a full rhyme, which can turn a poem into doggerel at the blink of an eye – eg moon/June/soon, cat/hat/mat.
After the door shuts and the footsteps die
I think sad thoughts and wonder why full rhyme
he went, as ever, without telling me goodbye,
leaving me with unfulfilled desire near rhyme
to understand the whys of love
and rid myself of him internal rhyme
Why did I never doubt his love
as though my doubting could remove eye rhyme
my own?
I should be sure of this conviction
but ever more will doubt my reason. partial assonant rhyme
Now, looking back, I see it clearly.
He never ever loved me, did he? silly rhyme
Now, looking back, I see it clearly.
He never ever loved me really. alternative full rhyme, which
shows how weak full rhymes can be.
Linked at Poets United http://poetryblogroll.blogspot.com/ and at http://margoroby.wordpress.com/ - Your Serendipity
Interesting discussion above. I enjoyed your examples. I tend to go wrong with rhyme unless it’s meant to be funny.
Reblogged this on Crafthall and commented:
From Viv(in France): a mini-primer on Rhyme
Thankyou for this, Viv – how wonderful to have clear, concise examples all in one place!
A thoughtful exploration of the topic; maybe you should have a go at this week’s Reverie?
I remember when we did Eugene Onegin in college, and explored the intricacies of Russian masculine/feminine rhyme, there were quite a few heads exploded by the fact that there could be different kinds of rhyme. Still, best in moderation, as with all things; you have excellent points to rebut the pedants of the world, I’d say.
Nicely explained Viv. I just write what (to me) flows well. I don’t follow any rhyme or reason, or, rules because like Pam, it’s all Greek to me, and (I feel) it would inhibit my thought process. Some people enjoy playing by the rules…not me. And, as you know, I also make spelling errors at times too, LOL
This is way beyond me, Viv. The examples are valuable, I am copying them and putting them in my wordprocessor. For the day I possibly think I could even write something with rhyme that isn’t doggerel. I won’t hold my breath on that one.
I spend so many of my teaching days trying to get my students to pronounce the word “how” properly, not saying “who”. Teaching English to Spanish speakers (whose language is visual), has its ups and downs.
I do believe I went off on a tangent, sorry … Again thanks for the lesson.
Pamela
Your style is mostly free verse, but that doesn’t preclude the use of the occasional internal rhyme and half-rhyme. I think it probably wouldn’t suit your writing to do a strict rhyme scheme with formal metre, but there’s no hard and fast rule to say that you can’t play with elements of either!
ViV x
The poetry I was taught was almost entirely (excessively) rhymed, metrical, and didactic. Unfortunately, rebellion took me too far in the opposite direction. It’s likely that if I hadn’t had the King James drummed into me I wouldn’t have any music at all in my writing. But I’m trying, so,
thanks for the mini-lesson. I’m not sure I get the last one, though–alliterative full. Could be that even my internal ear has an accent.
not alliterative Barbara, that would be beginning with the same letter or sound. I can’t help with the accent – to me, really and clearly sound the same!
chuckle. Might help if I were more attentive?
Consonants don’t give me too much trouble (don’t translocate Rs), but my vowels are almost all over-long and diphthong-y.
Useful notes, these, Viv. I rarely use rhyme now. With it comes the absolute requirement of meter and I’ve found that the totality of the process is so technically demanding that original intentions all-too-frequently become lost in the crafting. There’s nothing clumsier than the rhyming poem that simply ignores the palpable fact that it’s the rhythm that makes the rhyme work. Think McGonagall! On the poetry prompt sites, a temporary embargo on rhyme would produce so much more convincing work.
I agree with you. During my teaching years, I forbade rhyme, because in the process of finding the wretched rhymes, the poem was lost [I won't even mention metre]. Most of my students were relieved when given permission to not rhyme. I only ever had two students who had inner ears good enough that I lifted my ban for them.
I have never written an end rhyme poem, but love to play with the sound techniques involved with internal rhyme.
An embargo would prove an interesting experiment and the results might amaze the rhymers. I have only come across a couple whose poems can handle the rhyme. These writers are also very good at metre.
margo
On the whole I agree with both you and Margo, but I do love playing with rhyme and metre, specially in humorous writing, although full rhymes often lead to greetings card type of poetry. The rule has to be: Prioritise poetry over rhyme.
I hope my little set of examples didn’t set your teeth on edge!
Your examples do exactly what they are supposed to do, be clear examples!
I had the same problem, ViV. I wonder if the blackout yesterday messed with anything, even though it was voluntary. I must have cut, copied, pasted, discarded, five or six times before the spacing would behave.
I love your rhyme posting and have already put it into a file. I love internal rhyme, but think the eye rhymes are the most fun.
margo
Always go with your gut.
I don’t know what’s the matter with WordPress. I must have edited this post about 10 times, as WP kept playing about with the layout, adding crazy bullet points. Every time I corrected one problem they made another! I don’t know what version you read, Tilly, as your comment appeared while I was doing the nth edit.