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zigzag 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 that alternates or backtracks unpredictably (e.g., ABABBA), creating intricate, non-linear sound connections between lines.

Detailed Definition
Zigzag rhyme is an irregular rhyming pattern that leaps unpredictably between lines or stanzas—such as ABACBC—avoiding predictable couplets or quatrains; this technique creates dynamic sonic movement, mirroring thematic instability or intellectual exploration.
Example
Example in poetry:
Rhyme scheme ABAB but with lines zigzagging in length: short, long, short, long; ABCB with unexpected slant rhymes creating angular effect; Rhymes that jump stanzas: line 1 (A), line 3 (B), line 2 (A), line 4 (B); “Sky (A) / Below (B) / High (A) / Snow (B)” (visual and sonic zigzag)
Additional Notes
zigzag rhyme: A rhyme scheme where the rhyming words are not adjacent but separated by one line (e.g., a-b-a-b) or are irregularly patterned across a stanza, creating a visually and aurally less predictable, 'skipping' effect; often used in ballads.
Also Known As
Crisscross rhyme Jagged rhyme Zigzag pattern Boustrophedonic rhyme
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