Presentation Transcript
Rhyme :Rhyme And Why It’s Still Relevant Today
Perfect Rhyme :Perfect Rhyme How do I rhyme a syllable?
Match exactly all sounds starting with the vowel
Independent of English spelling, e.g. white (???t) / bright (b???t)
How do I rhyme a line?
Rhyme the last stressed syllable of the line
Then match exactly any remaining syllables!
i.e., all sounds starting with the stressed vowel must match
e.g. foun-da-tion and cre-a-tion (-e??n)
Not just last syllables: foun-da-tion and dic-tion
Lines rhymed on one syllable (“white”) are “masculine”
Lines rhymed on more than one (“foundation”) are “feminine”
Masculine rhymes are easier to write and thus more common
Imperfect Rhyme :Imperfect Rhyme Slant rhyme
Terminal consonants match; vowels are close and could be deliberately distorted to match
Would and blood
Traditionally used, somewhat unsatisfying
“Eye rhyme”
By spelling (some were once true rhymes but are now slant)
Cough, though, slough
Traditionally used, but unsatisfying
Assonance (“vowel rhyme”)
Vowels match, consonants do not match
Sake and hate: common “ay” (e?) sound
Suitable for sung texts (vowel is held)
Quite satisfying as an alternative to rhyme: commonly used
Imperfect Rhyme :Imperfect Rhyme Consonance
Terminal consonants match; vowels not related
Kick and tack
Not satisfying as an alternative to rhyme
Imperfect Feminine Rhyme
Various possibilities on strict feminine rhyme
i.e., unstressed syllables rhyme (instead of match exactly)
Orange and door-hinge
Best if the corresponding consonants are phonetically related, or if one is a bare vowel.
Why Rhyme at All? :Why Rhyme at All? Pleasing
An undeniable part of our psychology and neurology
The brain tends to hold on especially to the last words of various phrases and lines. Whenever it identifies an incoming match with this catalog of recent final sounds, it makes a satisfying note of it.
Though some rhyme schemes are more common (ABAB, etc.), it doesn't matter so much exactly which line the match comes from
Aids memorization
CCM doesn’t rhyme… does it? :CCM doesn’t rhyme… does it? I Believe In Jesus (Marc Nelson)
I believe in Jesus
I believe He is the Son of God
I believe He died and rose again
I believe He paid for us all
And I believe that He’s here now
Standing in our midst
Here with the power to heal now
And the grace to forgive