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ShowbizU: Types of Rhymes- Elise Dewsberry and Tim Kashani

Name: ShowbizU: Types of Rhymes- Elise Dewsberry and Tim Kashani
Uploaded: 2014-04-16T00:26:10+00:00
Duration: 1 min 44 s
Channel: Tim Kashani
Description: In this segment of the ShowbizU video, the speaker outlines three primary rhyme categories used in songwriting and lyricism: masculine rhyme (single…

16 Apr 2014 · 2 min

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1:44

In this segment of the ShowbizU video, the speaker outlines three primary rhyme categories used in songwriting and lyricism: masculine rhyme (single stressed syllable, e.g., hat‑cat‑mat), triple rhyme, and internal rhyme. The discussion emphasizes Stephen Sondheim’s mastery of internal rhyme, highlighting a line from the Sweeney Todd number “Have a Little Priest”: “I’ll come again when you have judge on the menu.” The speaker explains how the phrase “when you” internally rhymes with “menu,” illustrating Sondheim’s clever wordplay that simultaneously serves comedic effect and deepens the character’s motivation for revenge. The example demonstrates how rhyme can be both humorous and narratively purposeful, reinforcing character intent while entertaining the audience.

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Can you give the audience examples of the different rhyme types? Well, they're pretty, you know, masculine rhyme is like hat, cat, you know, it's one syllable, one stressed syllable, hat, cat, mat. And there are triple rhymes, there are internal rhymes, and people like Sondheim are brilliant at internal rhymes where not only do the last words or the last syllables of lines rhyme, but they also rhyme internally, so there'll be words inside a line. I think one of my favorite lyrics of all time is from my favorite musical of all time, from my favorite composer, which is Sondheim, of course. And it is from Sweeney Todd, which I think is a phenomenal musical. And at one point when they're singing "Have a Little Priest," the Act 1 finale, which is just a lot of fun and tons of rhymes, some of which are purposefully sort of cheesy and corny and even make the characters groan at how corny the rhymes are. But he inserts this one line where he says, "I'll come again when you have judge on the menu." "when you," which I think is just a fantastic rhyme. And it's a bit of an example of an internal rhyme because the "when you" that rhymes with "menu" is in the middle of the line. "I'll come again when you have Judge on the menu." And it's a brilliant rhyme, and it's so to the point for him because the most important thing to him is, even though they're having fun now talking about how they're gonna put people in pies and won't that be fun and it's a silly fun comedy number, but he wants revenge on the Judge for what he did to him. That's the most important thing to him. So to me, that does it all because it's funny, it's a clever rhyme, and it's so true to his character and makes and brings him back to what he wants. So to me, that's the ultimate in rhyme craft.