Rhyme as a Significant Part of the External Structure of a Poem
Poetry is a 'literary work in which the expression of feelings and ideas is given intensity by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literature'. Over the thousands of years that poetry has been written it has grown and developed and that continued to change and grow. This is because of the people writing poetry, as years change so does writing external structure of a poem and how we use words, poems have also changed in masses because of key influences within the community. Also, writers give popularity or a new perspective on writing techniques, one of these techniques is rhyme, and someone who majorly affected rhyme in poetry is Robbert Herrik.
Rhyme can be defined as 'the repetition of same or similar sounds so that they chime on the ear'. Poetry was originally an oral art and is very akin to music. Rhyme might be compared to harmony in music - the repetition of similar sounds in words and letters being like the combination of harmonious notes which can create a memorable and attractive effect on a listener.
Many poems follow a rhyme scheme. To mark the patterns used, letters of the alphabet are formatted in a kind of literary algebra, namely AABB. Other well known rhyme schemes are couplets: AA BB CC. There is also something called a cross rhyme, using the ABAB pattern, as used in the quatrains of 'Shakespeare's sonnets'. Poems do however not have to rhyme according to a fixed pattern or scheme, they can be placed at irregular intervals. Any irregularity of rhyme mixed with lines that follow a regular pattern seems confusing and adds no strength to a poem.
When looking at the rhyme as the external structure of a poem, rhymes do not justify sentimentality or compensate for carelessness or abstraction. Rhyme can be invaluable in many different situations such as:
- an audible echo;
- a way of finding new words that would not have come up without the presence of rhyme;
- a connection with the poetic tradition.
Another method is to combine a one syllable word with a three syllable word which often creates a beautiful, subtle rhyme. A method known as multi-syllable rhymes is used as repetition to reinforce the poem. Another rhyme that is easier on the eyes than on the ears consists of words that do not have the same pronunciation, even though they are spelled the same way.
When looking at Robbert Heriks' works, specifically the poem 'The pillar of fame' it is easy to identify the techniques of rhyming previously discussed. But more interesting is how his spin on the rhyme conventions is different and creates a different effect in his poems.
Words like 'fall', 'shall' and 'all' are rhyming words, giving readers the perception that the narrator's understanding of the 'pillar' is final. Likewise, the clever uses these rhyming words to give the reader a finalic pitch as it nears the end of the poem. in contrast, the final two lines of the poem have an imperfect rhyme scheme, drawing the reader's attention to the alliteration used in the last line, 'Firm and Well Fixed foundation'. In this sense, the flow brought about by both perfect and imperfect rhymes symbolizes the flow that characterizes the universe in the poem. Herrick's intentional use of partial rhymes thus reinforces that the pillar is above the coexistence mode of understanding the universe, owing to the fact that the pillar symbolizing glory is a real time lapse. In short, through the structure and literary means used in this poem, Herrick deftly creates in the minds of the readers that fame is indeed a strong pillar that can last forever. But he also uses several poetic traits to illustrate that the pillar can be considered immortal, but not without its own weaknesses and with the weaknesses the pillar of fame can no longer be considered eternal.
To summarize, rhyme is a wonderful tool used in poetry and can create a wide variety of experiences for readers in the ways it can be spoken or performed, it is one of the most creative forms of writing and even displays this in how it is ever changing and is continually influenced by those writing. Rhyme, as children quickly realise, provides a special kind of satisfaction. It can make us feel, for the space of a poem, that the world is less contingent, less random, more connected, link by link. When used well rhyme can reify meaning, it can embody in sound and sight the connections that poets try to make with their wider images and ideas.
