Rhyme Scheme

Rhyme scheme is the pattern in

which the last words in lines of
poetry rhyme.

We record rhyming lines with letters.

The first two lines that rhyme would
be A; the next two would be B…and
so on.
 Rhyme Scheme Examples
What lines in Mother Goose’s “Humpty
Dumpty” end in rhyming words?

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses, and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again!
 Rhyme Scheme Examples
What lines in Mother Goose’s “Humpty
Dumpty” end in rhyming words?

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses, and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again!
 Rhyme Scheme Examples
Once you have identified words that rhyme at
the end, label the lines in alphabetical order.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. A

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. A
All the king’s horses, and all the king’s men B
Couldn’t put Humpty together again! B
 “Runaway” by Robert Frost
Below are the first few lines from “Runaway.”
What lines end in rhyming words?

Once when the snow of the year was beginning to fall,

We stopped by a mountain pasture to say, "Whose colt?"
A little Morgan had one forefoot on the wall,
The other curled at his breast. He dipped his head
And snorted to us. And then we saw him bolt.
We heard the miniature thunder where he fled,
 “Runaway” by Robert Frost
Below are the first few lines from “Runaway.”
What lines end in rhyming words?

Once when the snow of the year was beginning to fall,

We stopped by a mountain pasture to say, "Whose colt?"
A little Morgan had one forefoot on the wall,
The other curled at his breast. He dipped his head
And snorted to us. And then we saw him bolt.
We heard the miniature thunder where he fled,
 “Runaway” by Robert Frost
What is the rhyme scheme? (What letters
would you use to label these lines?)

Once when the snow of the year was beginning to fall, A

We stopped by a mountain pasture to say, "Whose colt?" B
A little Morgan had one forefoot on the wall, A
The other curled at his breast. He dipped his head C
And snorted to us. And then we saw him bolt. B
We heard the miniature thunder where he fled, C

Therefore, the rhyme scheme for these lines is

ABACBC.