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taboo 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

Rhymes that pair words referencing taboo, offensive, or culturally forbidden subjects, often used for shock or subversion.

Detailed Definition
Taboo rhyme: Rhyme pairs involving words that are socially prohibited, offensive, or transgressive, deliberately violating conventions of acceptable language in poetry to create shock, humor, or provocative effects.
Example
Example in poetry:
Taboo rhyme appears in John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester’s “A Ramble in St. James’s Park,” where obscene rhymes critique court hypocrisy; in Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl,” “cock” and “rock” challenge 1950s censorship; in Chaucer’s “Miller’s Tale,” bawdy rhymes subvert clerical decorum; in contemporary poet Patricia Lockwood’s “Rape Joke,” taboo subject matter is handled through jarring rhyme to provoke discomfort; in Catullus’s Latin poems, sexual rhymes (in translation) shocked Roman sensibilities.
Additional Notes
Rhymes involving forbidden or controversial subjects; must serve artistic purpose; context determines appropriateness; powerful when used skillfully; shock value alone insufficient justification
Also Known As
Forbidden correspondence Offensive end-sound Vulgar couplet Dysphemistic Couplet
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