Simple Rhyme Poetry

Synopsis

Simple Rhyme is one of the first poetry styles I learned. Usually structured in quatrains with a rhyme scheme of aabb or abab, I consider simple rhyme to be structured solely based on a consistent rhyme scheme. Simple Rhyme is often found in children's stories, such as those written by Dr. Seuss, and is easily remembered.

A few less common but equally simple rhyme schemes are listed below:

1. Second and Fourth Rhyme: xaxa
2. First and Fourth Rhyme: axxa
3. Mono-rhyme: aaaa
4. All But One Line Rhyme: axaa
5. Inner and Outer Line Rhyme: abba

My Tips, Tricks, & Opinions

Feel free to leave your thoughts and advice in the comment section below.

Achieve the Unique

A general rule of thumb is that the more unusual the rhyme scheme, the less childish the rhyming will sound. Most people stick to quatrains and the rhyme schemes listed above, but don't be afraid to play with tercets or stanzas of 5. Interweaving rhymes between stanzas like aba bcb cdc or abcb cded, can also make these poems unique and improve the flow.

Try to Avoid...

As with any poem structure requiring rhyming, you want to avoid words that are hard to rhyme—like orange—and clichéd phrasing. After penning a line (or stanza), if it sounds remotely familiar or predictable, it's going to hurt the quality of your poem.

Examples

Ancient (October 21, 2014)

Beneath the sand of ancient dunes
Carved in stone, some unknown rune
This beautiful language of forgotten lore
Untold knowledge, secrets, legends, and more.
Hidden there beneath my weary feet
Forgotten and thought to be obsolete
But there's power there, in hidden words
The clear solution to a vision blurred,
And I wish to understand it in my soul,
To bond with it, learn it and gain control.

References

1. Nicholas Tozier. "Have You Mastered All Six of These Basic Rhyme Schemes?". The Lyric Writer's Workroom. July 2014