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Bouts-rimés

Form
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 poetry game where poems are written to a pre-selected list of end-rhymes

Detailed Definition
Bouts-rimés (“rhymed ends”) is a poetic game or exercise where a set of predetermined rhyming words is provided, and the poet must compose verses ending with those words in sequence; popular in 17th-century France, it tests ingenuity and flexibility, often yielding witty or surprising results—Alexander Pope parodied the practice, but it remains a useful pedagogical tool for developing metrical and lexical dexterity.
Example
Example in poetry:
Bouts-rimés are pre-set rhyming words given to poets as compositional challenge; 18th-century salons used them for witty improvisation; Modern workshops adapt bouts-rimés for creative constraint exercises; Example prompt: end lines with “moon,” “spoon,” “June,” “tune”; This game reveals how form sparks invention.
Additional Notes
Bouts-rimés are rhyming word endings provided in advance for poets to compose around; a 17th-century French parlor game that trains poetic agility and constraint-based creativity.
Also Known As
Given rhymes Predetermined end-words Rhyme-word challenge Fixed ending game Bout-rimé
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