Internal Rhyme
Internal rhyme is a rhyme that falls within a single line of verse — rather than at the ends of lines, where end rhyme lives. It adds music and momentum inside the line, and it's the beating heart of songwriting and rap.
Examples
“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary”
dreary / weary — two rhymes inside one line (Poe, “The Raven”).
“While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping”
napping / tapping — mid-line rhyme carried to the line's end.
“I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers”
showers / flowers — a rhyme within the line (Shelley, “The Cloud”).
Internal rhyme vs. end rhyme
End rhyme sits at the ends of lines and forms the poem's rhyme scheme (ABAB, AABB, …). Internal rhyme sits inside a line and doesn't change that pattern — it simply layers extra rhyme into the line for speed and texture. Many poems use both at once.
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What is internal rhyme?
Internal rhyme is a rhyme between two or more words within a single line of poetry or lyrics — as opposed to end rhyme, where the rhyming words sit at the ends of lines. It can occur within one line, or between a word in the middle of a line and the word at its end.
What is an example of internal rhyme?
The most famous is the opening of Edgar Allan Poe's “The Raven”: “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary.” Here dreary and weary rhyme inside the same line. Rap and hip-hop lean heavily on internal rhyme too.
What is the difference between internal rhyme and end rhyme?
End rhyme falls at the ends of lines and creates the poem's rhyme scheme (ABAB, AABB, and so on). Internal rhyme falls inside a line and adds extra musicality and momentum without affecting the end-of-line pattern.
Why do writers use internal rhyme?
It speeds up a line, tightens its music, and rewards the ear with more rhyme than end rhyme alone. It's a signature of songwriting and rap, where dense internal rhyming shows off skill and drives the rhythm.