ABCB is a rhyme scheme common in ballads and folk poetry. Only the second and fourth lines rhyme, while the first and third do not. This creates subtle tension and musicality, maintaining rhythm without predictability. The form supports storytelling, especially when aiming for a natural, songlike or oral-tradition feel.
‘Hope is the Thing with Feathers’ by Emily Dickinson is a poem about hope. It is depicted through the famous metaphor of a bird.
By leaving half the lines unrhymed with ABCB, Dickinson also mirrors the theme of resilience. Just as hope weathers storms without perfect predictability, the rhyme pattern has a sense of openness and imperfection. Her frequent use of slant rhyme further reinforces this—hope might not be tidy or orderly, but it still endures.
William Wordsworth was certainly not without his share of tragedy, and this poem, “We Are Seven”, is one which evokes this tragic feeling.
The poem mostly sticks to an ABCB rhyme pattern, which gives it a steady, easy-to-follow rhythm; like a calm voice telling a story. But now and then, it shifts to ABAB or even adds a line, like in the final stanza (ABCCB). These changes keep the flow from feeling too predictable and help certain emotions stand out. It’s like how someone might change their tone or pause when telling a heartfelt story. The rhyme isn’t just decoration: it quietly shapes how the reader feels each moment as the story unfolds.
Ballad of Birmingham’ by Dudley Randall is a moving narrative of the last moments of a little girl murdered in a church bombing.
The poem follows an ABCB rhyme scheme in each four-line stanza. This means the second and fourth lines in each stanza rhyme, while the first and third do not. This pattern is common in traditional ballads, and it gives the poem a gentle, song-like flow. Even though the subject is serious, the rhyme adds a steady rhythm that contrasts with the tragic ending, making the emotional impact even stronger as the story unfolds.
In ‘Part V: The Rime of The Ancient Mariner,’ the dead crew rises, guided by spirits, in a quest for redemption. Supernatural meets divine.
This part of the poem mostly follows the ABCB rhyme pattern. That means the second and fourth lines of each stanza usually rhyme, while the first and third lines do not. This structure is common in traditional storytelling poems, especially ballads. It helps keep the rhythm smooth and easy to follow. Because the poem is long, widely studied, and this pattern appears consistently throughout, it deserves a strong rating for its clear and steady rhyme.
‘The Lockless Door’ is a short narrative poem that details an attempt to hide from inevitable change as both futile and hindersome.
Through the consistent use of this rhyme scheme, Frost creates the impression of a lilting knock sound, reflecting the unknown entity knocking on the speaker's door. The regularity of this rhyme scheme reinforces the certainty that the one who knocks will enter: it is unavoidable, as the door has no lock. However, the unrhyming first and third lines contributes to the speaker's sense of fear and panic, as they try all they can to avoid confronting the mysterious caller.
The poem ‘Nurse’s Song’ is a description of an unpretentious encounter between a nurse and a group of children who are playing on a hill.
The poem follows an ABCB rhyme scheme in each stanza. That means the second and fourth lines in each group of four lines rhyme, while the first and third lines do not. This pattern gives the poem a steady, musical flow without sounding too predictable. It also leaves some room for variety in the sound, which matches the calm and gentle mood of the poem. The rhyme is soft and comforting, just like the tone of the nurse’s voice.
‘One need not be a Chamber to be Haunted’ by Emily Dickinson explores the nature of the human mind. She presents the reader with images of mental and physical threats and how they can be confronted.
Each quatrain follows this pattern, where only the second and fourth lines rhyme. Mix of perfect rhymes ("Ghost"/"Host," "chase"/"Place") and slant rhymes ("House"/"Place," "most"/"least"), creating an unsettling, incomplete feeling that mirrors the poem's psychological content.
‘He ate and drank the precious words’ by Emily Dickinson is an uplifting poem. It celebrates the joys of reading by describing one man’s experience.
The rhyme scheme of this poem is ABCB, which means that in each four-line set, only the second and fourth lines rhyme. For example, “robust” and “dust” in the first stanza have the same end sound, while the first and third lines don’t rhyme at all. This pattern is common in Dickinson’s poems. It gives the poem a soft rhythm that still feels balanced, even though not all the lines end with matching sounds.
‘Where the Picnic Was’ mourns lost connections and times, contrasting warm past summers with the cold, lonely present of loss.
The poem follows an ABCB rhyme scheme in every stanza, which means that only the second and fourth lines rhyme while the others do not. This uneven pattern gives the poem a soft and reflective rhythm that fits its mood. The rhyme does not call attention to itself but instead flows gently. It matches the speaker’s quiet walk through memory and adds a sense of natural speech while still offering a little musical touch to the lines.
‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ by Alfred Lord Tennyson is a historically important poem that tells of the incredible bravery of the British cavalry during the Battle of Balaclava.
While the poem doesn't follow just one pattern all the way through, most stanzas loosely stick to an ABCB rhyme scheme. This means the second and fourth lines tend to rhyme, while the first and third usually do not. However, there are plenty of irregularities. Tennyson shifts the pattern in places to match the energy and tension of the scene. This flexible approach helps mimic the confusion of battle while still giving the poem rhythm and flow.
‘Dream Variations’ by Langston Hughes details two slightly different dreams a Black speaker has as he is confronted with the “white day.”
The poem follows an ABCB rhyme scheme in most parts, especially in the first stanza. This means that only the second and fourth lines of the four-line sections rhyme with each other. The other lines do not rhyme at all, giving the poem a mix of sound and flow. Hughes uses this pattern to keep the rhythm gentle and natural, while also letting some words connect through sound to keep the lines feeling smooth and balanced.
‘Mean Time’ delves into love’s loss, comparing it to the dark, extended nights after “Daylight Saving Time,” capturing deep sorrow.
Out of four quatrains, only two feature a rhyme scheme of ABCB. The final two stanzas boast the only rhyme present in the poem; the confinement of rhyme to these stanzas allows the speaker to show their transition into acceptance. As the rhymes become cohesive, so does the speaker's thoughts on the end of their relationship.
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