What Is an ABAB Rhyme Scheme? Example and Explanation

Learn what an ABAB rhyme scheme is with a clear example and explanation to improve your poetry writing and understanding.

0 views

An example of an ABAB rhyme scheme is: 'The sun is shining bright (A) / The sky is clear and blue (B) / I feel a sense of light (A) / Whenever I am with you (B).' This pattern means the first and third lines rhyme with each other, and the second and fourth lines rhyme with each other.

FAQs & Answers

  1. What does an ABAB rhyme scheme mean? An ABAB rhyme scheme means the first and third lines rhyme with each other, and the second and fourth lines rhyme with each other in a four-line stanza.
  2. How can I identify an ABAB rhyme scheme in poetry? Look at the end words of each line in a stanza; if lines 1 and 3 rhyme and lines 2 and 4 rhyme, the pattern follows an ABAB rhyme scheme.
  3. What are other common rhyme schemes besides ABAB? Other common rhyme schemes include AABB, ABCB, and AAAA, each describing which lines rhyme in a stanza.