12 Best ABAB Poems

ABAB poetry follows a rhyme scheme where the first and third lines rhyme with each other, as do the second and fourth. This alternating pattern is one of the most common in English poetry, offering both structure and variation. The scheme creates a pleasing rhythm and forward momentum while giving poets room to explore different ideas.

Poem Explorer Poetry Archives

PDF Guide

Nationality:

Themes:

Emotions:

Topics:

Form:

Genre:

"> 70/100

Moonlight, summer moonlight

by Emily Brontë

Through a soft and steady reflection, ‘Moonlight, summer moonlight’ captures a speaker’s quiet admiration for a peaceful summer night, revealing how calm moments in nature can bring deep contentment without needing deeper meaning.

Brontë uses an alternating ABAB rhyme scheme in each quatrain, producing a soft, harmonious rhythm that mirrors the quiet mood of the poem. The rhymes are natural and unobtrusive, supporting the imagery without drawing too much attention. The structure maintains clarity while reinforcing the lyrical, gentle tone throughout.

'Tis moonlight, summer moonlight, All soft and still and fair; The solemn hour of midnight Breathes sweet thoughts everywhere,

PDF Guide

Nationality:

Themes:

Emotions:

Topics:

Form:

"> 69/100

Invictus

by William Ernest Henley

‘Invictus’ is W.E. Henley’s most famous and inspirational poem, that resonates with people worldwide. He wrote the poem in 1875 and dedicated it to Scottish flour merchant named Robert Thomas Hamilton Bruce.

Henley’s use of an alternating rhyme scheme, ABAB, creates a powerful, echoing rhythm throughout Invictus. The rhyme scheme reinforces the speaker’s steady resolve, making each stanza feel cohesive and purposeful. The repetition offers predictability, which mirrors the speaker’s unshaken attitude even when confronted with fate, suffering, or death.

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

PDF Guide

Nationality:

Themes:

Emotions:

Topics:

Form:

Genre:

"> 67/100

The Jaguar

by Ted Hughes

Hughes’ ‘The Jaguar’ contrasts subdued zoo animals with a fierce, untamed jaguar that captivates with its defiant spirit.

The poem transitions from ABBA in the first stanza to predominantly ABAB rhyme schemes, mirroring the shift from static confinement to dynamic movement. The opening enclosed rhyme suggests entrapment, while alternating patterns create forward momentum toward the jaguar. Extensive slant rhymes throughout create sonic tension, reflecting the artificial zoo environment and the jaguar's transcendence of conventional boundaries.

The apes yawn and adore their fleas in the sun.

The parrots shriek as if they were on fire, or strut

Like cheap tarts to attract the stroller with the nut.

Fatigued with indolence, tiger and lion

PDF Guide

Nationality:

Themes:

Emotions:

Topics:

Form:

Genre:

"> 64/100

So We’ll Go No More a Roving

by Lord Byron

‘So We’ll Go No More a Roving’ is one of Lord Byron’s best works, delving into the emotional toll of aging and the waning of youthful vigor.

This poem uses a classic ABAB rhyme scheme, with the second and fourth lines rhyming in each stanza. It is a familiar and easy-to-follow structure that helps keep the poem flowing in a smooth and musical way. The rhyme gives the poem a sense of rhythm and balance that fits its reflective tone. Since the poem is short and often studied in schools, this well-used pattern earns a solid score for supporting the poem’s calm and thoughtful mood.

So, we'll go no more a roving

So late into the night,

Though the heart be still as loving,

And the moon be still as bright.

PDF Guide

Themes: Disappointment, Failure, Relationships

Emotions: Disgust, Frustration, Hopelessness

Form: Quatrain

"> 64/100

This Be The Verse

by Philip Larkin

‘This Be The Verse’ by Philip Larkin is a powerful poem. It’s about the intense relationships between children and their parents.

The simplicity of the rhyme scheme employed in this poem enhances its direct and honest tone. The start of the poem quickly establishes this tone with its brevity and shock value, which is carried on throughout the poem. The persistent use of perfect rhyme in this alternate pattern lends to the idea that Larkin's perception of generational trauma is a universal, indisputable truth.

They fuck you up, your mum and dad.

They may not mean to, but they do.

They fill you with the faults they had

And add some extra, just for you.

PDF Guide

Nationality:

Themes:

Emotions:

Topics:

Forms:

Genres:

"> 61/100

In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations’

by Thomas Hardy

‘In Time of “The Breaking of Nations”‘ features three pastoral vignettes, Hardy reframes war as a passing disturbance rather than a defining rupture.

The poem's ABAB rhyme scheme is an alternating pattern, creating a measured, thoughtful rhythm. In each quatrain, the first and third lines rhyme, and the second and fourth lines rhyme. Unlike a couplet rhyme (AABB), which pairs lines together in tight units, the alternating scheme links lines across the stanza, creating a more open and continuous flow.

Only a man harrowing clods

In a slow silent walk

With an old horse that stumbles and nods

Half asleep as they stalk.

PDF Guide

Nationality:

Themes:

Emotions:

Topics:

Form:

Genre:

"> 59/100

Easter, 1916

by William Butler Yeats

‘Easter, 1916’ is a reflection on the events surrounding the Easter Rising, an armed insurrection that began in Dublin on Easter Monday, April 24, 1916.

Yeats uses a mostly ABAB rhyme scheme, though some lines lean into near-rhymes or occasional variation. This gives the poem a sense of control without sounding too mechanical. The rhyme helps carry the emotional rhythm without distracting from the serious subject matter. Because this is a well-known and thoughtfully structured poem, the rhyme supports its reflective tone. It is not overly musical but suits the blend of personal memory and national tragedy, making it a strong, though not perfect, example.

I have met them at close of day

Coming with vivid faces

From counter or desk among grey

Eighteenth-century houses.

PDF Guide

Nationality:

Themes:

Emotions:

Topics:

Form:

Genre:

"> 57/100

Who’s for the Game?

by Jessie Pope

Pope’s ‘Who’s for the Game’ portrays World War I as a thrilling challenge of bravery for one’s nation, urging young men to join the cause.

The poem follows a clear rhyme pattern that changes every four lines, starting with ABAB and continuing with a similar pattern in the next sets of lines. For example, in the first four lines, “played” rhymes with “unafraid” and “fight” rhymes with “sit tight.” This pattern continues, with each pair of alternate lines rhyming. Toward the end, the poem finishes with two final lines that rhyme with each other, giving it a neat and satisfying close.

Who’s for the game, the biggest that’s played,

The red crashing game of a fight?

Who’ll grip and tackle the job unafraid?

And who thinks he’d rather sit tight?

PDF Guide

Nationality:

Themes:

Emotions:

Loving Someone You Can't Have

Topics:

Form:

Genre:

"> 52/100

Betrothal

by Carol Ann Duffy

This poem adopts a deeply pessimistic view of marriage as Duffy highlights the flaws of patriarchal society.

Largely adhering to an alternate rhyme scheme, this poem creates a sense of musicality through its use of rhyme. This affords the poem a unique oral quality which mimics that of a lullaby, juxtaposing the dark subject matter. At times, the rhyme falters as near rhyme or eye rhyme is used, which adds to the sense of unease in the poem.

I will say yes, say yes.

I'll sprawl in my dress

on my watery bed.

Make me be wed.

#10

PDF Guide

Nationality:

Themes:

Emotions:

Topics:

Form:

Genre:

"> 50/100

London is Full of Chickens on Electric Spits

by Peter Porter

‘London is Full of Chickens on Electric Spits’ by Peter Porter compares the way chickens are treated to conditions in Auschwitz.

As this poem only contains four lines, its utilisation of a simple rhyme scheme is appropriate for its length. However, it is also notable that the simplicity of this rhyme scheme heightens the straightforward and shocking tone of the poem as it presents a comparison between the human consumption of poultry and the Holocaust.

London is full of chickens on electric spits,

Cooking in windows where the public pass.

This, say the chickens, is their Auschwitz,

And all poultry eaters are psychopaths.

#11

PDF Guide

Nationality:

Themes:

Emotions:

Topics:

Form:

Genre:

"> 50/100

To Autumn

by John Keats

‘To Autumn’ stands as one of Keats’ most image-rich and skillful odes, offering a sumptuous description of the fall season.

The rhyme scheme of 'To Autumn' is mostly regular but slightly varied. In each stanza, the first four lines follow an ABAB pattern. The remaining seven lines follow a more flexible CDECD pattern. This structure gives the poem both order and softness. The rhymes do not feel forced, which helps the lines flow naturally and gently reflect the calm tone of the season.

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,

Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;

#12

PDF Guide

Nationality:

Themes:

Emotions:

Topics:

Forms:

Genre:

"> 47/100

In April Here Beneath the Scented Thorn

by William Wordsworth

‘In April Here Beneath the Scented Thorn’ reflects on the future of nature through two contrasting perspectives.

The entire poem follows the consistent rhyme scheme of ABAB, with alternating rhymes. Adopting the form of quatrains, the excerpt as well as its source poem use this rhyme scheme. However, it includes some exceptional slant rhymes, adapting to natural tone.

But now here's neither grass nor pleasant shade;

The sun on drearier Hollow never shone;

So will it be, as I have often said,

Till Trees, and Stones, and Fountain all are gone."

Home » Collection » ABAB Poems

12 Best ABAB Poems

General

Poetry+

Discover

Useful Links

12 Best ABAB Poems

by Emily Brontë

by William Ernest Henley

by Ted Hughes

by Lord Byron

by Philip Larkin

by Thomas Hardy

by William Butler Yeats

by Jessie Pope

by Carol Ann Duffy

by Peter Porter

by John Keats

by William Wordsworth

Narrow Your Search

We Look Deep into Poetry

General

Poetry+

Discover

Useful Links