nonrhyming

Nonrhyming is a term used in poetry to describe verse that does not employ end rhymes, internal rhymes, or regular rhyme schemes. In nonrhyming poetry, the musical effect is achieved through rhythm, cadence, line breaks, and sound devices such as assonance, alliteration, and consonance rather than through rhyme.

Historically, nonrhyming approaches emerged with the rise of free verse in the late 19th and 20th centuries, as poets sought to capture natural speech and flexible form. While not all free verse is entirely nonrhyming, a nonrhyming impulse is central to much of modernist and contemporary poetry. Blank verse, a related form, uses unrhymed iambic pentameter and is widely used in English dramatic and narrative poetry.

Some poets intentionally avoid rhyme to emphasize meaning, pace, or imagery, while others allow occasional near rhymes or slant rhymes without treating them as true rhymes. The absence of rhyme does not preclude musicality; rhythm, repetition, and sonic patterns provide structure.

Related concepts include free verse, blank verse, and near rhyme. Nonrhyming verse is often associated with emphasis on language, imagery, and emotional or intellectual focus over conventional musical constraints. It remains a foundational approach in many modern and contemporary poetic practices, where form is shaped by purpose rather than tradition.