Masculine Rhyme

Within poetry, song writing and every-day language, there are many different types of rhyme. One of these is masculine rhyme which we'll look at in more detail.

Masculine rhyme meaning

Masculine rhyme is a rhyming technique that places stress on the final syllable of a rhyme. It is the most common form of rhyme in the English language and can be found in poetry, theatre, song lyrics, and even in everyday sayings.

What are some masculine rhyme examples?

Let's look at some examples of masculine rhyme in a variety of contexts.

Examples of masculine rhyme in poetry

Note: in the following extracts, we have emphasised the masculine rhymes in bold to help you understand the concept. This is not how the poems were originally printed.

This poem, like much of Dickinson's work, is rich with imagery and meaning, but the rhyme scheme is very simple. Notice how the second and fourth lines of each stanza end in a stressed, single-syllable rhyme (‘dew’/‘blue,’ ‘door’/‘more’.) These are masculine rhymes, and they are arranged in a classic ABCB scheme.

Emily Dickinson often used masculine rhyme in her poetry to emphasise specific lines. - Wikimedia Commons

In this dark narrative poem, Poe uses masculine rhyme to punctuate the end of his lines. Read this stanza out loud and you'll notice how the single-syllable rhymes (‘lore’/‘door’/‘more’) create natural pauses in the rhythm.

It is worth noting how Poe uses internal rhymes such as ‘dreary’/‘weary’ and ‘napping’/‘tapping,’ which are slightly more complex and are classed as feminine rhymes. However, it is the masculine rhymes (‘lore’/‘door’/‘more’) that add punch to the end of each section. The different types of rhyme work together to reinforce the poem's steady, hypnotic rhythm, helping to draw you into Poe's haunting story.

Agbabi, whose work lends itself brilliantly to live performance, uses masculine rhyme to describe a ‘masculine’ character.

The single-syllable rhymes and staccato rhythm make you feel as if you're being continually poked or jabbed. The simplicity of the poem's style conceals the violent, disturbing story of a racist hooligan, and the punchy, masculine rhymes fit the theme perfectly.

Examples of masculine rhyme in song lyrics

If you've ever heard this huge hit song, you'll know that Swift stresses the final syllable of each line in the verses before adding a pause. Masculine rhymes such as ‘beat’/‘feet’ help her to emphasise this pattern.

In this laid-back 1990s hit, Will Smith (then known as The Fresh Prince) opens with these lines to set the mood. This is an example of how masculine rhymes can be used with words longer than one syllable: ‘transformed’ is a two-syllable word, but it is only the final, stressed syllable (- ‘formed’) that rhymes with ‘norm.’ The simple nature of the rhymes work perfectly with the relaxed nature of the song.

This is an interesting use of masculine rhyme, as for most of the song, Sheeran uses more complex rhyming techniques, such as feminine rhyme (e.g., ‘heart is’/‘artists’) and multisyllabic rhyme (e.g., ‘stadium heights’/‘Damien Rice’/‘Arabian Nights’.) The relatively basic masculine rhyme of ‘hush’/‘blush’ stands out because of its simplicity. Not only does this give Sheeran and the listener some space to breathe (as he packs fewer syllables in these lines than in the rest of the verse), but it arguably emphasises his point about dumbing himself down to pander to a crowd.

Examples of masculine rhyme in theatre

Masculine rhyme in Hamlet:

Most of Hamlet is in blank verse, meaning that it has a meter (a rhythmic structure) but does not rhyme. However, Shakespeare did sneak a few rhyming couplets in there. This one is perhaps the most famous rhyme from the entire play.

Shakespeare sometimes used masculine rhyme to make specific lines more memorable. - Wikimedia Commons.

These lines appear at the end of a soliloquy spoken by Hamlet, in which he plots to stage a scene similar to the murder of his father in order to stir up some remorse in the king (who he suspects is guilty). These final two lines seem to clarify or summarise his speech, and the fact that they rhyme arguably represents a moment of clarity, or the ‘clicking together’ of his thoughts. The use of masculine rhyme means that these lines are simple and satisfying for the audience. Much like Hamlet's plan, they seemingly fit together rather neatly.

Masculine rhyme in Love's Comedy:

Ibsen uses verse throughout this play to talk about the everyday mundanity of married life in a stylised, often-flamboyant fashion. Note the scheme in this section (ABABCBC). This adds a layer of complexity to an otherwise simple set of rhymes.

Examples of masculine rhyme in everyday expressions

We use masculine rhymes in many everyday expressions. For example: ‘name and shame,’ ‘shop till you drop,’ and ‘make or break.’ Certain proverbs (phrases that offer advice or wisdom) also use masculine rhyme. For example: ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away,’ and ‘a stitch in time saves nine.’ Many proverbs that use masculine rhyme have an informal feeling to them, such as ‘you snooze, you lose’ and ‘no pain, no gain.’

People love to make up rhymes to make a piece of advice more memorable, or just to make everyday language more interesting. Masculine rhymes often stick in your mind due to their simplicity, so it is easy to see why there are so many of them in everyday speech.

Why use masculine rhyme?

There are other types of rhymes that are more ‘intricate’ than masculine rhyme, such as feminine rhyme (e.g., forming/swarming), pararhyme (e.g., forming/farming), and multisyllabic rhyme (e.g., transform/ant swarm). These can all be seen as more complex than the simple, monosyllabic emphasis of masculine rhyme. But does this make them better? Well, it all depends on context.

Look at the examples throughout this article and you'll see that many highly-accomplished writers, who are more than capable of creating technically-impressive works, use masculine rhyme as a stylistic choice. The simplistic nature of masculine rhyme sometimes fits the mood or the message of the piece. Many writers use masculine rhyme in conjunction with other types of rhyme (think of Poe's ‘The Raven’ for example), making their work more sonically rich and varied. As illustrated by the examples in this article, masculine rhyme can be a great way to emphasise the rhythm of a piece and add a ‘punch’ where needed.

Like all types of rhyme, masculine rhyme can make things more memorable. This is why we hear it in so many everyday expressions.