Rhyme In Time

A few tips on how to make a rhyming scheme

An element that appears quite commonly throughout fairy fairy tales is a well a consistent rhyming scheme. Using a rhyming scheme tends to be quite effective in this style of literature, due to the way it allows the author to control the way the reader follows the story. For the most part, the rhyming scheme provides the reader with a tempo which allows for an enjoyable progression of the story, as well as emphasis on certain words which are more pleasing to the ear.

For the most part, rhyme schemes organize their rhymes in the format of couplets (two lines of verse). Within these individual couplets, there exist a syllable count which commonly falls under one of the following categories:

-The first and second line of the couplet posses an equal syllable count, e.g.

 "With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, (12)
You're too smart to go down any not-so-good street. (12)" (Oh, The Places You'll Go, Dr. Seuss)

-The first and second line of the couplet posses a syllable count with a variation of one syllable, e.g.

"Jack be nimble, Jack be quick (7)

Jack jump over the candlestick (8)" (Jack Be Nimble, Nursery Rhyme)

-Slightly less commonly -  the first and second line of the couplet posses a syllable count with a variation of two syllables, e.g.

"You've got a new horizon, it's ephemeral style (13)

A melancholy town where we never smile" (11) (Feel Good Inc., Gorillaz)

CAUTION!!!

Don't write with a scheme that contains a scheme a syllable variation of three or more; using more than two syllable variations tends to dilute the effect of the rhyme

The order of the rhyme - whether the line with more syllables comes first or second - does not matter, rather it is just a function of which one sounds better in context.

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