Which rhyme scheme is described by lines 1 and 3 rhyming and lines 2 and 4 rhyming?

Which rhyme scheme is described by lines 1 and 3 rhyming and lines 2 and 4 rhyming?

• A. ABAB
• B. ABCA
• C. AABA
• D. AABB

Answer: (A)

End rhymes reveal how a short poem or stanza is patterned. If the last word of the first line rhymes with the last word of the third line, that pair shares one rhyme. If the last word of the second line rhymes with the last word of the fourth line, that pair shares another rhyme. When you can identify that the first and third lines rhyme, and the second and fourth lines rhyme, you’re looking at an alternating rhyme pattern: the rhymes switch as you move from line to line, with two distinct rhymes repeating in alternating lines. This exactly fits the description given. Patterns that would pair the first two lines together and the last two lines together, or would pair the first with the last, don’t match the described setup, since they rely on different pairings of lines for their rhymes.

End rhymes reveal how a short poem or stanza is patterned. If the last word of the first line rhymes with the last word of the third line, that pair shares one rhyme. If the last word of the second line rhymes with the last word of the fourth line, that pair shares another rhyme. When you can identify that the first and third lines rhyme, and the second and fourth lines rhyme, you’re looking at an alternating rhyme pattern: the rhymes switch as you move from line to line, with two distinct rhymes repeating in alternating lines. This exactly fits the description given.

Patterns that would pair the first two lines together and the last two lines together, or would pair the first with the last, don’t match the described setup, since they rely on different pairings of lines for their rhymes.