Rhyme turns language into ritual, and rituals tend to be either levelling and egalitarian, bringing different kinds together to be brethren, as in churches, or exclusive and exalting, advancing a narrow set to elect status, as in clubs. It is the material of a greeting card-“Roses are red / Violets are blue / Sugar is sweet / And so are you”-and the high-tragic language of Racine. Rhyme thrives at both poles of literature.
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
