Ever wondered why poetic writing has this extra charm? The answer is simple: poetic writing includes rhyming words. But what are rhyming words and how can you use them with different colours to paint a lustrous picture? In this article, we take a look at how you can use rhyming words in your writing and bring out the poet inside you.
Rhyming words, in essence, are two or more words that have similar ending sounds that create a pattern that is easily recognizable and memorable. Rhyming words are most often used consciously to induce an intended effect in the endings of lines of poems or songs. The word rhyme is sometimes used as a shorthand term for a small poem, such as a couplet or a nursery rhyme.
When Do We Use Colour Rhyming Words?
Colour rhyming words lend themselves well to nursery rhymes. Not only do they allow the reader or the listener to memorize the content better, but they also paint a vivid picture of the subject at hand.
The Function Of Rhyming Words
The word rhyme is derived from Old Latin, meaning rhythm. Its use is intended to create a repeating pattern that is rhythmic and pleasant to hear. It can also be used as a mnemonic device that aids memorization. That is why songs and poems are much easier to memorize than chunks of monotonous prose.
It is also used as the tail of a line, which marks its end and gives a metric structure to the poem or song. Most notable poets, such as William Shakespeare, frequently used rhythmic couplets to mark the end of a section of a poem or play.
Types Of Rhymes
There are many types of rhymes that poets have used over the centuries and distilling each and every one of them is truly a scholastic task. But, for convenience, we shall mention some of the most popular ones.
1. Perfect Rhymes
This type of rhyme is classified depending on the number of syllables in the words. There are two further distinctions made within it, which are determined by the location of the stressed syllable.
Firstly, we have masculine rhyme or single rhyme. These include words that stress on the final syllable of the words. For example, rhyme, time.
Secondly, there is feminine rhyme or double rhyme. These include words that stress on the second last syllable of the words. For example: tricky, sticky.
2. General Rhymes
There are many different varieties of general rhymes as well. These refer to various words, which are phonetically very close to each other, meaning they sound similar. The different general rhymes are classified depending on the degree of their phonetic similarity.
First, let’s take a look at Imperfect Rhymes. Also known as “near-rhyme,” the rhyme is found between a stressed and an unstressed syllable. For example, king, caring.
Next up, we have something that is known as syllabic rhyme. If the last syllable of the words sounds the same but doesn’t necessarily have any stressed vowels, we have syllabic rhyme. There are many nursery rhymes that make use of this technique. For example, pitter, patter.
Not all rhymes follow strict definition and can break out of their boxes every now and then. One such type is “semi-rhyme.” These include rhymes with an extra syllable on one of the words. For example, mend, ending.
Many other general rhymes will be discussed later on in conjunction with the rhymes that we will be looking at for different colours.
3. Eye Rhyme
You may already be sensing a pattern with rhyming words but the beauty of them is that there can never be a clear-cut definition for them. Such is the case with eye-rhyme. These rhymes trick the mind as they are similar in spelling but not in sounds. They may be spelled similarly but are pronounced differently. Some examples include love, dove; cough bough, etc.
Rhyming Words With Colours
Now that you have a brief understanding of the different ways you can rhyme, let us apply them to colours. There are a few tough words that may not have a perfect rhyme but they do have many other close companions. So, let us begin finding a rhyme for the different colours we have.
Orange
What rhymes with Orange? This is one of the hardest words to find a rhyming word for. Even rappers step back and drop their hats when they encounter this word, and tread very carefully not to make it look forced. There is no perfect rhyme for Orange, so we have to look elsewhere to find a close companion.
The only word that comes close to being called a rhyming word for Orange is Sporange. This word is an alternative form of Sporangium, which is a term for a part of a fern-like plant. But that is not all. Even “door hinge” can be considered a rhyme for “Orange”, as popularized by Eminem, though it is what is considered an Identical rhyme. Example: I put my Orange/4 inch/ Door hinge in storage.
Purple
What rhymes with Purple? This is another one of those hard words for which there are hardly any rhyming words in the Oxford dictionary. Although it has no perfect rhyme, it has a slant rhyme. Purple can very well be rhymed with Urinal, for example. Thanks to its matching vowels, the word Urinal is a good assonance or slant rhyme for this royal color. Example: A flower purple/ Sitting in the urinal.
Silver
What rhymes with Silver? This word necessitates the description of what is considered a pararhyme. In such a rhyme, all consonants match and it is also known as half-rhyme. So, words like deliver, chilver, and salver rhyme well with silver. Example: A great platter silver/To you we can’t deliver.
Red
Now that we have tackled some of the harder colours, we can take a look at rhyming words for other colours. Red, the colour of love and blood, has been rhymed generously with words like bled, dead, dread, shred, led, etc. There is no shortage of words that rhyme with this colour. Example: Of all the roses red/ I pick the ones that are dead.
Pink
Pink rhymes perfectly with a variety of words too. Some of these include wink, slink, kink, think, brink, and many more. These are perfect rhymes that will sit well in your poems and form an intrinsic part of the cohesive whole. Example: Across the pink horizon/I sit and think of the stars to come.
Blue
Many poets and poetesses have used hundreds of words to pair with this popular colour. Words like blew, few, flew, too, view, rue, and the like are easily paired with blue and have been used to paint a lustrous picture of the sky or the oceans. Example: Across a sky so blue/ my little bird of madness flew.
Violet
Since it is a two-syllable word, this colour goes well with words of more than one syllable, although single-syllable words can be used to rhyme with it as well. Some examples include budget, bucket, nut, hut, covet, etc. Depending on the word, these words can either be perfect rhymes or general rhymes. Example: Aromas of violet/ And the lady Sharlotte’s dialect.
Green
Another word that sits well in the minds of writers to rhyme with is Green. As a colour of nature, it has enabled many romantic poets to pour their hearts out without any technical difficulties. Words that rhyme with Green include been, queen, preen, scene, sheen, and between, etc. Example: Of all that is good and green/ I have forsaken for my queen.
Yellow
This word allows you to inject many interjections that can really spice up your writing and truly make them your own. Some of the words that rhyme well with Yellow are Oh, Woe, So, Foe, Pro, and many more. Example: Yellow morn of yesterdays/ Oh the dawn, Oh its ways.
Brown
Lastly, let’s take a look at Brown. Although this word doesn’t have many single-syllable rhyming words, there are a host of multiple-syllable words that are sure to give your writing the intended rhythm and flow. Some of these words include clown, breakdown, nightgown, uptown, and slowdown, etc. Example: With a runny nose, wet and brown/ He spoke to the wise old clown.
Rhyming is an art unto itself. Take your time to know the different types of rhymes before you write your masterpiece. Always make sure the words are not forcefully rhymed but they serve a purpose to the whole composition. Listen and read various forms of written art that will enable you to understand how best to use rhyming words, especially when they are tied together with different colours.
Add some of these rhyming words as you craft your next poem!