What is the rhyme scheme for "Eating Poetry?"

To determine the rhyme scheme for any poem, begin by labeling the first line "a." Look at the last word of the second line; if it rhymes with the last word of the first line, label it "a"; if not, label it "b." Label any subsequent lines that rhyme with the first line "a" and with the second line "b" (if different). Continue through the poem, assigning a new letter to each line that does not rhyme with a previous line and the same letter to lines that rhyme with previous lines.

Following this formula, the poem "Eating Poetry" has the following rhyme scheme: abc def ghi jkl mmn opp. This means there are no end rhymes for the first four stanzas. The first two lines of stanza five rhyme with each other, and the last two lines of the poem rhyme with each other. Lacking a regular rhyme scheme, this poem is considered free verse. The poem's unconventional rhyme scheme works well with the unconventional content of the poem.