initial rhyme
- noun
- /ɪˈnɪʃəl raɪm/
- Literature
:
rima inicial
- The phrase 'Peter Piper picked a peck' is a classic example of initial rhyme.
Examples
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The poet uses initial rhyme to create a musical quality in the verse.
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In Old English poetry, initial rhyme was more common than end rhyme.
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The poem features beautiful initial rhyme.
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Many poets use initial rhymes to enhance their work.
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In Old English poetry, initial rhyme was more common than end rhyme.
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The phrase 'Peter Piper picked a peck' is a classic example of initial rhyme.
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The poet uses initial rhyme to create a musical quality in the verse.
Synonyms
8
5.1
The use of the same sound at the start of nearby words, often in poems
Repetition of the same sound at the start of stressed words or syllables in a line of verse
The same first sound at the start of important words in a line of poetry
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly built from 'initial' (at the start) + 'rhyme' (correspondence of sounds), so a learner can infer it refers to matching sounds occurring at the beginning of words or lines (i.e., alliteration). This is a straightforward compositional pattern common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should understand it.
Etymology
Initial rhyme comes from the idea of rhyme that happens at the start of words: initial means 'start' and rhyme means 'repeated sound'. One clear example is 'Peter Piper picked a peck', where the 'p' sound repeats, so the term means 'repeating the first sound' to make a musical or rhythmic effect.