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cross rhyme

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 rhyme scheme where a word in one line rhymes with a word in a non-adjacent line, creating intersecting patterns

Detailed Definition
Cross rhyme is a subtle rhyming technique where a word in the middle of one line rhymes with a word at the end of another line (e.g., “The wind blew wild / Across the child”); it creates intricate sonic interlacing without the predictability of end-rhyme, adding texture and cohesion to free or irregular verse while maintaining fluidity.
Example
Example in poetry:
In a quatrain: “The sky is blue (A) / My love for you (B) / Is ever true (A) / Through all we do (B)”; A stanza where lines 1 and 3 rhyme, and 2 and 4 rhyme across stanzas: “Wind in the trees (A) / Night falls slow (B) / Brought me to my knees (A) / Where shadows grow (B)”; Cross-rhymed sestet in a Petrarchan sonnet: CDE CDE pattern creating interlaced sound; Modern example: “Glass on the floor (A) / Heart in my chest (B) / Can’t take this anymore (A) / Need some rest (B)”
Additional Notes
Cross rhyme links a word in the middle of one line to the end of another (e.g., line 1 mid-word rhymes with line 2 end-word); creates subtle sonic texture and interlacing.
Also Known As
interlaced rhyme crisscross rhyme diagonal rhyme woven rhyme Alternating rhyme alternating rhyme pattern Interlocking rhyme Rime croisée
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