Rhyme's reason

Rhyme's Reason is a guide to how English poems are built. John Hollander, a poet and critic who taught at Yale, walks readers through the devices that shape verse, from rhyme and meter to the larger structures poets use. Each device is shown through a fresh poem of Hollander's own, written so that it demonstrates the pattern it describes, often with a playful twist.

This expanded edition adds a new section of examples drawn from several centuries of English poetry. These passages display the patterns discussed earlier, letting readers see how the techniques have been used across different periods. The book suits students of poetry, aspiring poets and anyone curious about the mechanics behind the verse they read.