Top 8 Basic Rhyme Schemes for Your Song
So, you’re writing poems or lyrics for songs? Well, you have, probably, already faced the problem of lack of rhymes. The rhyme scheme is the thing all poets like to use in just a few familiar and most comfortable ways. But, what if I tell you that there are more than you used to use every time? Well, there are eight main rhyme schemes, and in this article, we are going to deal with some simple and clear rhyme scheme examples.
At the very beginning, all of us poets just write lyrics without any background and thoughts about schemes. We just write from out heart. But a scheme is exactly what makes a simple poem a great one and professional, and advanced. So, if you have any favorite of those schemes, but what to get something new, you should:
Try a fresh new rhyme scheme
Most of beginners and losers use the same two rhyme schemes all the time. It may last for years before a poet realizes that there is more to explore. So, usually, it is ABAB and AA schemes. It is as simple as to come up with words that rhyme with the end and it is much simpler than to write a song.
Sometimes people don’t even realize that their rhymes are catastrophically poor and here is another problem you should think about. While people are working, for example, on an annotated bibliography writing service, they might just lose the wire of good sense and link between words.
No matter if you are writing a poem or rap, you should be aware of rhyme schemes and use them variously. It will help you to reach the new top with your skills and overall writing results. Here are eight basic rhyme schemes you should definitely learn and use in your everyday life. These examples will lead you to new horizons and teach you how to write a rhyming poem of more complex and advanced level. Here we go!
ABAB
Here is a classic scheme that has interlocking rhymes. ABAB is also known as the alternate rhyme.
Here is how you can write it:
- You should rhyme the first line with the third one.
- And then the second line with the fourth one.
It is very popular example often used by Shakespeare.
XAXA
Here is the unpredictable one! With XAXA you should have two lines that do not rhyme with others. It looks and sounds more creative and advanced compared to ABAB scheme. It is also easier for the author to say something without writing anything between the lines in an attempt to fit the rhyme scheme.
So, XAXA works like this:
- Just rhyme the second line with the fourth one.
- Other two lines should not rhyme with each other.
AABB
As you can see from the previous two schemes, everything is very simple. In this case, AABB works as two lines one after another rhyme with each other.
AAAA
This scheme shows as that all the lines should have the same rhyme. AAAA is also known as monorhyme. It may be really hard to deal with it if the word you choose has not so many words to rhyme with. So, try to use smart words and not to make your verse too predictable.
AXAA and AAXA
I put both these schemes in one chapter. In this case of AAXA and AXAA, you need to rhyme only three lines of four. It is another great opportunity for a writer to get a little bit more freedom for his work. It is better to use one of these two schemes than AAAA in case you are not sure about your main rhyme. It is often used in Persian poetry and is called ruba’i.
ABBA
This scheme works as a sandwich, and yes, it reminds the name of a popular pop band ABBA. But in poetry, it is called enclosed rhyme. You should rhyme the first line with the last one and two lines between them with each other.
AXXA
And the last one for today is AXXA. It is something between XAXA and ABBA. You need to rhyme the first line with the last one like in ABBA. But leave two not rhymed lines between them. Just like in XAXA you get more freedom and flexibility.
Rhyme Schemes – Exercise
Well, most of us use ABAB and AABB schemes all the time sometimes without even realizing it. So, try to make your writing experience more diverse and learn few of these schemes. It will help you for sure.
I never thought about it, but it’s a really interesting idea. I’ll try a few schemes!
Hi there!
Great post! Thank you for sharing with us.