Rhyme in Epic Poetry

A perfect rhyme is one in which the final stressed vowel and all following sounds are identical.

A slant rhyme is one in which the final stressed vowel is different, but the final consonant is the same.

An eye rhyme is one in which the words are spelled the same, but pronounced differently.

A masculine rhyme is one in which the rhyme occurs on the final stressed syllable.

A feminine rhyme is one in which the rhyme occurs on the second-to-last stressed syllable.

A terza rima rhyme scheme is one in which the first and third lines of a stanza rhyme, and the second line rhymes with the first and third lines of the following stanza.

A Spenserian stanza rhyme scheme is one in which the first, third, and fifth lines rhyme, and the second, fourth, and sixth lines rhyme.

A heroic couplet rhyme scheme is one in which the first and second lines of a stanza rhyme.

A ballad stanza rhyme scheme is one in which the first and second lines rhyme, and the third and fourth lines rhyme.

A limerick rhyme scheme is one in which the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme, and the third and fourth lines rhyme.

A sonnet rhyme scheme is one in which the first, fourth, fifth, and eighth lines rhyme, the second, third, sixth, and seventh lines rhyme, and the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth lines rhyme.

An ottava rima rhyme scheme is one in which the first, third, and fifth lines rhyme, the second, fourth, and sixth lines rhyme, and the seventh and eighth lines rhyme.

A villanelle rhyme scheme is one in which the first and third lines of each stanza rhyme, the second line of each stanza rhymes with the first and third lines of the following stanza, and the fourth and fifth lines of each stanza rhyme.

A sestina rhyme scheme is one in which the first, fourth, fifth, and eighth lines of each stanza rhyme, the second, third, sixth, and seventh lines of each stanza rhyme, and the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth lines of each stanza rhyme.

A crown of sonnets rhyme scheme is one in which the last line of each sonnet rhymes with the first line of the following sonnet, and the last line of the final sonnet rhymes with the first line of the first sonnet.