Before You Listen
Poets, authors of poems, will often use words that end with the same sound to make their poems more musical or interesting to read. Rhyming is when two or more words end with the same sound.
Examples:
- cat - hat
- smile - while
- dear- near
- chair - care
Many poets will use rhyming in a repeated pattern. This makes the rhymes noticeable and sounds pleasant to the listener or reader. A pattern of rhyming is called a rhyme scheme. Rhyme schemes are often labeled with letters to show the order of the pattern.
Example
The Four Ages of Man by William Butler Yeats | Ending Sound | Rhyme Scheme |
| He with body waged a fight, | ight | A |
| But body won; it walks upright. | ight | A |
| Then he struggled with the heart; | art | B |
| Innocence and peace depart. | art | B |
| Then he struggled with the mind; | ind | C |
| His proud heart he left behind. | ind | C |
| Now his wars on God begin; | in | D |
| At stroke of midnight God shall win. | in | D |
"ight" sound = A. "art" sound = B. "ind" sound = C. "in" sound = D.
Therefore, the rhyme scheme of this poem is AABBCCDD.
Listen
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
Click the link to listen to Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas.
https://youtu.be/1mRec3VbH3w
While You Listen
Exercise 1.8
Listen to the poem by Dylan Thomas three times.
1. Listen to the poem the first time.
What words rhyme (end with the same sound)?
2. Is there a pattern to the rhyming?
3. Listen to the poem a second time. What emotions do you feel while listening?
4. Listen to the poem a third time. What words or phrases gave you that feeling?
Listen
After You Listen
Exercise 1.9
Part A
Listen to Danny Boy the first time.
What words rhyme (end with the same sound)?
Is there a pattern to the rhyming?
Part B
Listen to the poem a second time.
As you listen, circle the words that rhyme below. Then label the matching sets of rhyme A, B, C, etc.
Danny Boy (Bing Crosby Arrangement)
O Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling ____
From glen to glen and down the mountainside ____
The summer's gone and all the roses falling ____
'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide ____
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow ____
Or all the valley's hushed and white with snow ____
'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow ____
O Danny boy, O Danny boy, I love you so ____
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow ____
Or all the valley's hushed and white with snow ____
'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow ____
O Danny boy, O Danny boy, I love you so ____
Part C
What is the rhyme scheme for this poem? Circle the correct rhyme scheme.
1. ABAB ACAC ADAD
2. ABCB DADA DBDB
3. ABCA ABCA ABCA
4. ABCB DDDD DDDD