EnglishFreePrintable

Rhyming Poetry Reference Guide

A free english worksheet ready for your classroom. Open in Kuraplan to grab the print-ready PDF, customize it for your students, or generate a fresh version in seconds.

Download now

Name:Date:

Rhyming Poetry Reference Guide

Read the original poem, then use the reference notes to investigate end rhyme, rhyme schemes and rhythm. Answer in complete sentences where asked. For your own poetry, focus on a clear pattern and meaning rather than forcing an awkward rhyme.

Reference: rhyme and rhythm

End rhyme happens when words at the ends of lines have matching or similar sounds: stone / alone. A rhyme scheme labels each line’s end sound with a letter. The first sound is A; a new sound is B, and so on. AABB means lines 1–2 rhyme and lines 3–4 rhyme. ABAB means lines 1 and 3 rhyme, while 2 and 4 rhyme. ABCB means only lines 2 and 4 rhyme. Rhythm is the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. Read a line aloud to hear its beat; line lengths do not always have to be identical.

Poem: After the Rain

The storm has packed its clouds away, And puddles hold the afternoon. A kererū lifts through the grey, Its wings brush sunlight from the moon. Along the track, wet flax leaves shine; The stream carries a silver thread. I follow where the hills unwind, While evening lays its blue-grey bed.

1.In the first stanza, which pair of line endings shares an end rhyme?

away / grey
afternoon / grey
away / moon
puddles / sunlight

2.Write the rhyme scheme of the first stanza, using the end words as evidence.

3.What is the rhyme scheme of the second stanza? Name the end words that establish each rhyme.

4.Which statement best describes the poem’s rhythm?

Every line has exactly the same number of syllables and beats.
The lines have a spoken, flowing rhythm, with some variation in length.
The poem has no rhythm because it uses rhyme.
Each line repeats the same word at the same beat.

5.Read “Its wings brush sunlight from the moon” aloud. Choose one word you would stress for meaning, then explain how stressing it affects the line.

6.Match each rhyme scheme to its description.

AABB
ABAB
ABCB

Lines 1 and 3 rhyme; lines 2 and 4 rhyme
Lines 1 and 2 rhyme; lines 3 and 4 rhyme
Only lines 2 and 4 rhyme

7.A poet drafts these four line endings: bay / light / day / kite. What is the rhyme scheme? Explain your answer.

8.A student wants a line to rhyme with “stream” but writes “stone”. Explain why this is not an end rhyme, and suggest one suitable replacement word for “stone”.

9.Write four lines about a place after rain using an ABAB rhyme scheme. Label the end sounds A or B, and underline or identify your two rhyming pairs.

10.Revise one line from your poem so its rhythm is easier to hear when read aloud. Write the original and revised line, then describe what you changed.