Enclosed Rhyme (ABBA)

About

The first and fourth lines rhyme, enclosing a rhyming couplet in the middle. Creates a sense of return.

Explanation

In ABBA, the outer lines (1 and 4) rhyme, while the inner lines (2 and 3) form a couplet. This "envelope" structure creates a satisfying sense of closure, as the final line returns to the sound of the opening. The pattern is psychologically powerful: you hear the first rhyme, then two lines that match each other, then a return to the original sound. It feels like completing a journey—going somewhere and coming back changed. Tennyson used this scheme throughout "In Memoriam," creating hundreds of ABBA stanzas that circle obsessively around grief and memory. The form itself enacts return.

Example

Out of the night that covers me, (A)

Black as the pit from pole to pole, (B)

I thank whatever gods may be (B)

For my unconquerable soul. (A)

— William Ernest Henley, "Invictus"

Famous Poems

• Invictus by William Ernest Henley
• In Memoriam A.H.H. by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
• The Garden of Proserpine by Algernon Charles Swinburne
• Aubade by Philip Larkin

Writing Tips

• Use the enclosed structure to create a sense of return. The final line should feel like coming home.
• The inner couplet (BB) can serve as the "heart" of the stanza—put your most intense image or idea there.
• The long wait between A rhymes makes them more noticeable. Choose them carefully.
• This scheme works well for meditative poetry about memory, loss, or cyclical themes.
• Consider what changes between the first A and the last A. The same sound, but different meaning.