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Masculine rhyme is when only one syllable rhymes, often the last stressed syllable. It’s the most common type of rhyme in English poetry and can be used with words of any length. Female rhyme requires at least the last two syllables to rhyme. Poets often alternate between the two or use near rhyme.
A masculine rhyme is one in which only one syllable rhymes. Most often, this is the last syllable in a given line and the syllable is usually stressed. Contrast with feminine rhyme, in which both syllables of the last word are rhymed. Masculine rhyme is the most common type of rhyme used in English poetry.
Poets use one-syllable rhyming masculine words. For example, you might rhyme “door” with “floor” or “west” with “best.” Words with more than one syllable, however, are often used. For example, decapitate could rhyme with dread or start with defense. As long as the final syllables of the words rhyme, words of any length can be used.
In most cases, the rhyming syllable should be the last stressed syllable. For example, “find” is not generally considered to rhyme with “speak,” even though they have the same final syllable. This is because the first part of every word is the stressed syllable rather than the “ing” part. In France, poets do not count the last syllable of a word if it ends with a silent “e”.
The term “single rhyme” can also be used to describe male rhyme. Another term is monosyllabic. Still others use the term “simple rhyme.”
Male rhymes can be used in any rhyme format. In a couplet, the last stressed syllable of the two lines would rhyme. In an “abab” verse, the final syllables of each “a” line would rhyme, as would the final syllables of each “b” line.
Female rhyme, in contrast, requires at least the last two syllables of words to rhyme. Examples might include “caught” and “bacon” or “blinded” and “mind.” This type of rhyme is often called double or triple rhyme and could be referred to as multi- or polysyllabic rhyme.
Many poets alternate between male and female rhymes within a single poem, while others choose one or the other. Most types of verse express no preference, leaving it up to the writer to determine the most effective use of rhyme in any given piece. In classical French poetry, however, two masculine rhymes are never to be used in sequence.
Near rhyme is a term used to describe words that almost rhyme. A perfect rhyme is one that matches exactly. For example, “fold” and “hold” are a perfect rhyme, while “folder” and “blower” are almost a rhyme. Traditionally, masculine rhyming requires the rhyme to be perfect rather than close.
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