Rhyme vs Rhythm
• Rhyming is the practice of choosing similar sounding words at the ends of the alternate lines of a poem.
• Rhythm is an audible pattern or effect that is created by introducing pauses or stressing certain words in the poem.
Rhyme, rhythm, meter, alliteration, etc. are some essential elements of a poem. Both rhyme and rhythm relate to components that are important for the ears of the listener. If you recall, poetry itself is a thoughtful expression of ideas in a few words to convey deep emotions and feelings. Rhyme and rhythm make it easier for the listener to pay attention to poetry that would otherwise look very similar to a verse. Despite similarities between rhythm and rhyme, there are also differences that will be discussed in this article.
Rhyme
When you hear the word rhyme, you might think of nursery rhymes. In this context, rhyme refers to small poems taught to kids in kindergarten and nursery classes that have a small story expressed in a beautiful and exciting manner, making use of similar sounding words after alternate lines in these poems. Matching the sounds of words is what makes rhyme possible. Children who cannot even speak a language show great interest in poems that rhyme because they appear interesting and catchy to them. Jingles, nursery rhymes, and even numbers come easily to children when taught with matching sounds. If you remember the nursery rhyme “One two, buckle my shoe,” you know what I mean. It is interesting to see that other concepts also become easier to grasp by little children when taught using rhymes. Take a look at the following example:
Columbus sailed the ocean blue
In fourteen hundred ninety-two
Before the invention of books and the printing press, it was rhymes alone that helped people remember things easily. The great sayings and proverbs of ancient times are all expressed in rhymes. Take a look:
Early to bed and early to rise
Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise
Rhythm
Rhythm is an audible pattern created by stressing certain words in a poem. Accentuating, elongating, or twisting the tongue to create an audible pattern is what is meant by rhythm. You can easily understand the meaning of rhythm by tapping your feet to the effect created in this manner by the person singing a poem. It is only through singing or reading out aloud that one can get the rhythm of a poem. It is the intervals created between words using stress that is the rhythm of a poem. It is the rhythm of a poem that compels us to tap our feet or clap along with the beats of the poem.
Key Takeaways
- Rhyme and rhythm are important elements of a poem that make the poem appealing to the listener.
- Rhyming is the practice of choosing similar sounding words at the ends of the alternate lines of a poem.
- Rhythm is an audible pattern or effect that is created by introducing pauses or stressing certain words in the poem.
