Paul Zollo - Schirmers Complete Rhyming Dictionary

Mark Twain Rhymes. For songwriters, they are like the intricate machinery inside of a clockyou dont see them work, or know how they got in there. They are sometimes mysterious, sometimes magical, occasionally pedestrian, sometimes smooth, shiny, or rough. But without them, the clock wouldnt run and it would be tough to tell time. Rhymes are among the most potent and fundamental ingredients in the construction of a good song. In a song, be it rock n roll, rap, folk, blues, funk, or hip-hop, rhymes are integral to the solidity of the lyric; a great rhyme adds a beautiful completion to a line that nothing else can replace.

Rhymes not only complete a line sonically by matching sounds, they also link words in terms of associative meaning. All there is to thought is feats of association, wrote the poet Robert Frost, who proposed that the act of rhyming was emblematic of the associative nature of verbal thought. Now, he wrote, wouldnt it be a pretty idea to look at that as the under part of every poem: a feat of association, putting two things together and making a metaphor Carry that idea a little further, to think that perhaps the rhyming, the coupling of lines is an outward symbol of this thing that I call feats of association. The 19th century British poet Gerald Manley Hopkins pointed to the dual virtues of rhyming, connecting two words in terms of sound that are not connected in terms of connotation. there are two elements that the beauty of rhyme has to the mind, he wrote, the likeness or sameness of sound and the unlikeness or difference of meaning. The usage of inner rhymes (discussed later) and intricate, interlocking rhyme schemes (also discussed later) adds an unassailable richness to lyrics by adding more sonic and associative links.

I recently interviewed Aimee Mann in Aspen. The interview was part of the Aspen Writers Foundations Lyrically Speaking series, in which many of the worlds great songwriters are invited to this glorious mountain city to discuss their writing and to consider if popular lyrics are on par with literature. Mann was an ideal choice for the program, as shes one of the most gifted songwriters around. Rarely does she ever settle for a false rhyme (false vs. true rhymes are discussed later) in her songs, and like Dylan and some of the great poets of the past, she often employs intricate rhyme schemes such as the interlocking Byronic and Dylanesque abab rhyme scheme (in which every line rhymes). I asked her about this, and she said, Yeah, I do that because real rhymes add a resonance to a song.

But I dont think Bob Dylan ever uses a rhyming dictionary. So I asked her if she used one and she answered in the affirmative, explaining that which every savvy songwriter knowsthat a rhyming dictionary is a useful tool, but it doesnt do all the work for you. It doesnt write the song. It simply provides you with all the options for rhymes at handthe elementsand how you use those elements has to do with your talent and mastery of the craft. This is a compendium of those elements. This book might be useful for poets as well as for songwriters, though I tend to believe more songwriters than poets will use it.

Rhymes are of diminished importance in the poetry of modern times, as most poems these days are written now in free verse, which does not rely on rhymes. And which, of course, makes it a wholly different artform from what it was when rhymes were an integral part of the whole. As the poet Robert Frost said, Writing free verse is like playing tennis with the net down. Indeed, it is a different game. Which doesnt mean the stakes are any lowerthe aim of a poet working in free verse, or blank verse as its sometimes unfortunately termed, is different than a poet using rhymes, but does not imply a diminishment of the power or passion of the poem itself. The actor John Barrymore once said, Ive read some of your modern free verse and wonder who set it free.

This comment, though funny, betrays a clinging to the past. The evolution of the poem from rhymed verse into free verse is not unlike the evolution of the symphony from tonality to atonality. All expressions in every artform must be explored. And just as tonality has not been completely replaced by atonal explorations, rhymed verse has not been totally replaced, either. Rhyme has fallen out of fashion in most contemporary poetry, said Mark Salerno, author of Hate, Method and other compilations of his poetry. It seems that, in our age of irony and satire, we have become impatient with rhymes candor and directness.

But we welcome rhyme in popular song, where it continues to feel appropriate and unselfconscious. Salerno is quite right. When it comes to songs, rhymes are still of fundamental importance for many reasons, all of which I will explore in the following pages. What you hold in your hands is a rhyming dictionary, the purpose of which is to make your job as a rhyming songwriter or rhyming poet easier. This brings up many issues. What is a rhyme? Why rhyme? Is rhyming necessary? What is a perfect rhyme and what is a false rhyme? Should rhymes always be perfect rhymes? And is it ethical to use a rhyming dictionary? Shouldnt a savvy songwriter or poet have all the rhymes in the universe at his fingertips without having to resort to a reference book such as this one? Ill answer the last question first.

A rhyming dictionary is a tool. Despite what some songwriters have expressed, I dont feel theres anything at all wrong with using every tool one has. Songwriting is both an art and a craft. Its the fusion of inspiration with knowledge and confidence. A rhyming dictionary is an important tool in enabling the craftsman in the service of his craft. There are purists who quarrel with the fact that Vladimir Horowitz had his piano manipulated in such a way that the action was extra-light, thus making it possible to achieve some of his digital gymnastics.