head rhyme: Rhyme occurring at the beginning of lines rather than endings, also called initial rhyme or alliteration when involving identical initial consonants. Head rhyme emphasizes line beginnings and creates forward momentum as successive lines launch with similar sounds. This technique appears in various traditions including Old English alliterative verse where head rhyme provides primary structural element. Head rhyme demonstrates that rhyme need not occur in conventional positions and that line beginnings can be as formally significant as endings, revealing poetry's flexibility in organizing sound patterns across lines.

Head rhyme occurs at the beginning rather than end of lines, creating initial sound echoes. Also called alliteration when consonants repeat, this technique emphasizes opening words and creates alternative sound patterns.