Alternate Rhyme (ABAB)

About

Lines rhyme in an alternating pattern: 1st with 3rd, 2nd with 4th. Creates anticipation and payoff.

Explanation

The ABAB scheme alternates rhymes: line 1 rhymes with line 3, and line 2 rhymes with line 4. This creates a longer arc than couplets, building anticipation before delivering the rhyme two lines later. This scheme is the backbone of the English quatrain and appears in countless ballads, hymns, and folk songs. It feels natural in English because it mirrors the rhythm of everyday speech and song. The gap between rhyming lines allows for more complex thoughts than couplets. You can develop an idea across lines 1-2, then resolve or complicate it in lines 3-4. Shakespearean sonnets use three ABAB quatrains before a final couplet.

Example

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? (A)

Thou art more lovely and more temperate: (B)

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, (A)

And summer's lease hath all too short a date. (B)

— William Shakespeare, Sonnet 18

Famous Poems

• Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare
• Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare
• The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
• I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth
• Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

Writing Tips

• Think of each quatrain as a complete unit with setup (lines 1-2) and resolution (lines 3-4).
• The gap between rhyming lines lets you develop more complex thoughts. Use it.
• Strong B rhymes matter more than A rhymes because they close the quatrain.
• Vary the weight of your line endings. Not every rhyme needs to be a hard stop.
• This scheme works well for narrative poetry because it maintains momentum while providing structure.