Rhyme in Film. Types, Definitions and Examples

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Published: July 8, 2024 | Last Updated: July 9, 2024

Rhyme is the repetition of similar sounds in two or more words, typically at the end of lines in poetry or song lyrics. It adds a musical quality to language and can create a sense of rhythm and unity in writing. Rhyme can be used for emphasis, humor, or to create a sense of closure in a poem or song. It is a popular literary device used throughout history in various forms of literature and music.

The art of rhyme is a fundamental aspect of poetry and songwriting. It adds a musical quality to language and creates a sense of cohesion and structure within a piece of writing. In movies, rhyming is used in dialogue, monologues, and songs, which I’ll return to in a minute.

Table 1 is an overview of the various types of rhyme:

RhymeDefinitionExamples
Perfect Rhyme (or Exact Rhyme)This is the most common type of rhyme where the vowel sounds and the sounds following the vowels are identical in two words.Cat and hat
Tale and pail
Half (or Slant) RhymeIn half rhyme, the consonant sounds match, but the vowel sounds do not. This type of rhyme is subtler and creates a less predictable, more complex rhyme scheme.Rain and run
Bridge and grudge
Eye RhymeEye rhyme occurs when words look like they should rhyme because they are spelled similarly but do not actually rhyme in sound.Love and move
Tough and though
Internal RhymeInternal rhyme occurs when rhyming words appear within a single line of poetry. This can help to create a strong rhythm and emphasis.Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary (from Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven)
Masculine RhymeMasculine rhyme is a rhyme where only one syllable of the two words rhymes.Light and might Bear and where
Feminine RhymeFeminine rhyme involves two syllables where the first syllable is stressed and the second syllable is unstressed and rhymes.Turtle and fertile
Motion and ocean
End RhymeEnd rhyme is when the rhyme occurs at the end of lines. This is the most common type of rhyme found in poetry and song lyrics.
Internal End RhymeInternal end rhyme occurs when a word in the middle of a line rhymes with the word at the end of the same line or within another line.
Table 1: Rhyme types, definitions, and examples.

Rhyme Examples from Movies

In film, rhyme is found in dialogue, monologues, and songs. Examples include movie adaptations (fx of Shakespeare’s plays) and musicals.

But sometimes, rhymes are also used to make a line more memorable by stressing a point and for characterization—for example, to show a villain’s madness.

Here are some examples.

Spider-Man (2002)

“The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout. Down came the Goblin and took the spider out.”

– Green Goblin

Rhyme Type: Perfect Rhyme

While Green Goblin flies on his glider and is about to kill Spiderman, he paraphrases this nursery rhyme, emphasizing his evil madness. The quote contrasts the spider’s innocence with the Goblin’s threat. It’s a perfect rhyme between “spout” and “out.”

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

“Cold be heart and hand and bone Cold be travellers far from home They do not see what lies ahead When sun has failed and moon is dead”

– Gollum

Rhyme Type: Internal Rhyme

This quote uses internal rhyme within lines such as “cold” and “bold,” “hand” and “land.” Internal rhyme enhances the poetic flow and rhythm of the lines, contributing to the epic and mystical tone of the dialogue.

Happy Gilmore (1996)

Shooter McGavin: Just stay out of my way… or you’ll pay! LISTEN to what I say!

Happy Gilmore: Hey, why don’t I just go eat some hay, make things out of clay, lay by the bay? I just may! What’d ya say?”

– Shooter McGavin and Happy Gilmore

Rhyme Type: Perfect Rhyme

In this fun showdown, Gavin McGavin and Happy Gilmore use perfect rhymes throughout. When McGavin uses a rhyme to threaten Gilmore, being the competitor he is, Gilmore wants to best him. But because they’re in a fancy golf club, they can’t throw punches but must throw words instead.

Summary

Rhyme is the repetition of similar sounds in words, often found at the end of lines in poetry or songs. It adds musicality and structure to language.

In the film, rhyme in dialogue can create a sense of rhythm, emphasize key points and comedy, or be used as characterization – for example, to show madness.

Up Next: What is Assonance?

By Jan Sørup

Jan Sørup is a indie filmmaker, videographer and photographer from Denmark. He owns filmdaft.com and the Danish company Apertura, which produces video content for big companies in Denmark and Scandinavia. Jan has a background in music, has drawn webcomics, and is a former lecturer at the University of Copenhagen.

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