As we discussed in previous blog posts, Emily Dickinson’s poem, “Tell all the truth tell it slant” is an eight-line poem. It has two quatrains based on its rhyme scheme. (This poem is sometimes published with a stanza break after the first four lines because of the rhyme scheme.)
As we discussed in yesterday’s post, the poem alternates between lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter. A line of iambic tetrameter contains four iambs, feet that contain an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. A line of iambic trimeter, on the other hand, contains just three iambs. We discussed the first four lines in yesterday’s post and how they follow this meter – the “ballad meter” or “common meter.”
Now, let us start discussing what this post is about: rhyme scheme. First, let us define our terms. A rhyme scheme is the pattern according to which end rhymes (rhymes located at the end of lines) are repeated in works of poetry. Rhyme schemes are described using letters of the alphabet. Lines in a poem that rhyme are assigned a letter. The letter begins with A. For example, a four-line poem where the first and third lines rhyme, and the second line rhymes with the fourth line ash the following rhyme scheme: ABAB. Here is a fun example I am making up as I write this:
Roses are red A
Violates are blue B
Socrates is dead? A
I had no clue. B
Can you seem the rhyme scheme ABAB and why it is described with those letters?
In Dickinson’s poem, the rhyme scheme is ABCBDEFE. This means that greater emphasizes falls on words like “lies” and “surprise” or “kind” and “blind.” These rhymes give the poem a sense of structure and consistency. The rhyme scheme in this poem is somewhat difficult and requires more explanation. I will do some more reading about this poem and return tomorrow to continue our journey.
I hope you enjoyed this post. Tomorrow, we will discuss rhyme scheme. Please let me know if you would like too discuss this more in-depth or discuss something else. See you tomorrow!
Ben Crittenden
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