How does ryhthm effect a poem?

Answer 1

Rhyming couplets to a reader are clever and mischievous at times. Rhyming can keep a person interested in a poem or a phrase.

They can also add to a sense of repetition, which can reinforce a specific idea or concept in a piece of poetry.

They also summarise the poet's feelings and are often found in sonnets.

Answer 2

The type of Sonnet which most usually features a riming couplet (in English) is the Shakespearean sonnet. Riming couplets can feature in other types of sonnet (Petrarchan, Spenserian ....), but they are rarer, and don't form an important feature of the sonnet structure (the way the couplet is always the end and the summation of a Shakespearean sonnet).

In a Shakespearean sonnet the riming couplet brings the sonnet to an end (the final two lines are always a riming couplet), and nearly always sums up the argument of the sonnet. If you want to know what a Shakespearean sonnet is about, you can usually get a clear idea just from reading the final two lines (the couplet).

Taking some of Shakespeare's most famous sonnets:

Sonnet 29 (When in disgrace ....) has a core meaning of:

For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings

That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

Sonnet 130 (My mistress' eyes) can be summarised:

And yet by heaven I think my love as rare

As any she belied with false compare.

Sonnet 73 (That time of year) boils down to:

This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,

To love that well, which thou must leave ere long.

If you ever need to know what Shakespeare is getting at in a sonnet: read the riming couplet (the last two lines) first.

This will also work for the vast majority of other Shakespearean sonnets written in English.

Answer 3

Rhythm creates a sense of flow and musicality in a poem, enhancing its overall tone and mood. It can help establish the pace of the poem and guide the reader through the structure of the verses. A well-crafted rhythm can also make the poem more engaging and memorable to the audience.

Answer 4

Rhymes are used to allow poetry to flow better. Some people prefer the unique sound that a rhyme provides at the end of each line.

Answer 5

it makes the reader feel interesting and exciting