Making Sense of Rhythm and Rhyme

For me personally, my favourite poems tend to have something of the ‘R’ factor.  I think of them as the three ‘R’s:

Rhythm

Rhyme

“Ah”

They don’t necessarily need all three, but invariably the ‘R’ factor is there somewhere.

1. Rhythm (or metre)

Whilst I get a natural enjoyment out of writing and reading poems with rhythm, I have only recently begun to realise that there are specific guidelines to poetic metres which can be learnt and which improve the feel of a poem, so I have included a page of basic guidance of Rhythm Poetry to help you achieve the same understanding. I have also gone on to adapt a poem by adding a consistent rhythm , hopefully showing the difference that metre can make to good poetry.  The poem is by Lucy, an 8 year old poet who attended one of my poetry workshops, and who gave me permission to make her fantastic poem fit a specific metre to see how it could improve it.  

(Click here to read her fabulous poem “Meet the Lemurs” and get some tips and a specific example of editing rhythm poetry)

2. Rhyme

You may have noticed that I love rhyming poems.  Let’s face it; we are all brought up on them.  Rhyme patterns are all around us; in lullabies as babies, nursery rhymes as toddlers, playground chants as we get older, and even football chants when older still!  Rhyme is excellent for aiding the memory and adding some predictability, but also to add humour when we avoid the obvious rhyme and slip in something unexpected (see my alternative nursery rhymes).  Click on the following link to discover why rhyme is a good thing to encourage in children in particular.

3. The “Ah” Factor

With or without rhythm and rhyme, a poem can achieve something special when it connects with the reader’s emotions and deeper understanding.   Try saying ‘ah’ in different ways and you’ll realise that it can be an expression of gentle affection, fear, pain, sympathy, surprise, shock, realisation etc.  These are all feelings that a good poet can create in the readers, especially by highlighting the use of the senses in their poetry.

Most of all though, I love a poem that makes me say “Ah yes; I’ve never noticed that before, but it’s true!”

The following senses list poem talks about how the use of rhythm and rhyme can be important in poetry. It includes a small amount of alliteration and assonance, as well as some personification and metaphors.

Feel the music of the rhythm In your fingers and your toes. Feel the way the poem bounces With the rhythm as it flows.
	See the journey of the rhythm As it travels into rhyme
Hear the clapping of your hands As they help you keep in time.
	Taste the flavour of the poem As the words trip off your tongue
Smell the essence of the message Now the fun has just begun……