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RHYME KCSE ENGLISH PAPER ONE

CLASS: FORM TWO

ORAL SKILLS: LISTENING AND SPEAKING

TOPIC: RHYME IN POETRY

Objectives:

By the end of the lesson, the learner should be able to:

a.   Identify rhyme in poetry.

b.  Create a poem with rhyming sounds.

 

Rhyme

Rhyme is the repetition of similar sounds at the ends of lines of a poem. 

The repeating patterns bring rhythm or musicality to the poem. 

The music created by rhyming words makes the poem both interesting and the idea/subject in the poem memorable. 

Remember, when studying rhyme in poetry consider the SOUNDS and not LETTERS at the end of the lines of the poem or song. 

The vowel sound in the last syllable of the words at the end of the poem determines whether the words \ or not.

When you listen to popular local or international songs you may observe that the rhythm or musicality in the song is created by rhyming words/rhyme at the end of each line. 

Oral skills Rhyme in Poetry

Consider this snippet of Bado lyrics by Harmonize and Diamond: 

 

Kutwaa kidomo wazi, nikifutwa na machozi,

Huku namwomba Mola unitoke moyoni/

Ila ndio siwezi nakesha ka mlinzi,

Maana hata nikilala unanijia ndotoni/

 

Juicy by The Notorious BIG

 

Lunches, brunches, interviews by the pool/

Considered a fool ‘cause I dropped out of house school/

Stereotypes of a black male misunderstood/

And it’s still all good/

 

Can you identify the rhyming words?

 

Pool school

Misunderstood good 

 

NB: - Words may have the same letter at the end but still not rhyme; and words with different letters at the end of the lines may rhyme.

This is because we consider the sounds and not the letters.

 

For example; 

Cat and fight do not rhyme.

Mite and come do not rhyme. 

 

Mite rhymes with fight 

Cat rhymes with mat 

 

Let’s use an example from KCSE 2012 ENGLISH PAPER 1 to demonstrate. 

Identify any two pairs of rhyming words in the poem. 

rhyme in poetry

For example “hogs” rhymes with “dogs” 

 

 

A rhyme scheme is a pattern of sounds that repeat at the end of a line of a poem. 

The patterns are encoded by letters of the alphabet. Lines are designated with the same letter rhyme with each other. For example, the rhyme scheme abab shows that line 1 rhymes with line 3 while line 2 rhymes with line 4. 

 

Example: 

Under the tree she sat, a

Silently watching the river, b

She saw a dog chasing a cat, a

The sight of that gave her a shiver, b

 

Sat rhymes with cat so we assign letter a to them.

River rhymes with shiver so we assign letter b to them. 


Can you describe the rhyme scheme of the poem ‘If We Must Die’ by Claude McKay?

Rhyme in Poetry KCSE 2012

The rhyme scheme is ababcdcdefefgg

Note: In the poem die /dɑɪ/ rhymes with defy /dɪfɑɪ/ and foe /fəʊ/ rhymes with deathblow /deɵbləʊ/

Try saying the words aloud. 

The words die and defy have the sounds /ɑɪ/ while foe and deathblow have the sound /əʊ/

 

There are two types of rhyme schemes;

1)  Regular rhyme scheme

2)  Irregular rhyme scheme 

 

Regular rhyme scheme 

The poem has a constant/definite pattern of rhyme. You can predict the pattern. 

The poem 'If We Must Die' has a regular rhyme scheme 

ababcdcdefefgg 

 

Irregular rhyme scheme 

The poem has an uneven pattern of rhyme. You cannot predict the pattern or tell the next rhyme. 

For example; 

abcadefba 

  1. If you attempt a question that asks you to describe the rhyme scheme of a given poem
  2. Identify the rhyming words in the poem
  3. Assign each rhyme a letter of the alphabet starting with a. Go all the way to the last line. Do not add more letters after the last line even if the pattern is predictable. 
  4. Write down the pattern e.g. abab or abba
  5. State whether the rhyme scheme is regular or irregular.  Usually, it is regular. 

 

SAMPLE KCSE QUESTIONS ON RHYME IN POETRY 

KCSE ENGLISH PAPER 1 2022



KCSE ENGLISH PAPER 1 2018 

Rhyme in a poem KCSE 2018

3(ii) Describe the rhyme scheme of the poem (3 marks) 

 

KCSE ENGLISH PAPER 1 2016

Rhyme poetry KCSE 2016


3(i) Describe the rhyme scheme of the poem and explain its function. 

 

KCSE ENGLISH PAPER 1 2015

Rhyme poem KCSE 2015

3(b) Describe the rhyme scheme in this poem and say what it does (4 marks) 


KCSE ENGLISH PAPER 1 2012

Rhyme in poetry KCSE


(i) Describe the rhyme scheme of this poem.  (2 marks)


Next we analyse oral skills notes on turn-taking skills in dialogue

Do you know any words that rhyme? 





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