| the pattern of rhymes used in a poem, usually marked by letters to symbolize correspondences, as rhyme royal, ababbcc. |
| rhyme scheme n. The arrangement of rhymes in a poem or stanza. |
rhyme scheme
the formal arrangement of rhymes in a stanza or a poem. If it is one of a number of set rhyme patterns, it may be identified by the name of the poet with whom the set rhyme is generally associated (for example, the Spenserian stanza is named for Edmund Spenser). The rhyme scheme is usually notated with lowercase letters of the alphabet (as ababbcbcc, in the case of the Spenserian stanza), each different letter representing a different rhyme.
Learn more about rhyme scheme with a free trial on Britannica.com.