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AAB rhyme scheme

Rhyme
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A three-line stanza rhyme pattern where the first two lines rhyme and the third differs (AAB)

Detailed Definition
AAB rhyme scheme is a three-line stanzaic pattern in which the first two lines rhyme with each other (A), and the third line introduces a new rhyme (B). Commonly found in folk poetry, hymns, and certain narrative forms, this scheme creates a sense of cohesion followed by departure, often used to signal a shift in thought or emotion. It appears in ballads and children’s verse, offering rhythmic predictability while allowing for lyrical variation in the concluding line.
Example
Example in poetry:
In "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe, some stanzas use AAB rhyme: "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, / Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore— / While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping"; Nursery rhymes often use AAB: "Baa baa black sheep, have you any wool? / Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full! / One for the master, one for the dame"; In Robert Frost’s "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," the final stanza shifts to AAB: "The woods are lovely, dark and deep, / But I have promises to keep, / And miles to go before I sleep"; Emily Dickinson sometimes used AAB in her quatrains: "I heard a Fly buzz – when I died – / The Stillness in the Room / Was like the Stillness in the Air – / Between the Heaves of Storm –"
Additional Notes
AAB rhyme scheme is commonly found in folk ballads, hymns, and narrative poetry, where the repeated A-rhyme creates a memorable refrain-like effect before shifting to a new idea in the B-line; students should note its utility in oral traditions for aiding recall and building rhythmic momentum, and it often pairs with iambic or anapestic meter—compare with the AAB stanza (12103), which refers to the structural unit rather than just the rhyme pattern.
Also Known As
AAB stanza couplet-plus-coda rhyme double-A opening scheme nursery rhyme pattern AAB rhyme form
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