Rhyme is primarily determined by the similarity of sounds between the ending syllables of lines in poetry. This involves matching the final sounds, which can include both stressed and unstressed syllables, depending on the type of rhyme being used.
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End rhyme: The most common form of rhyme, where the last stressed syllable and everything that follows it in the lines match in sound. For example, in the words "cat" and "hat," both end with the stressed syllable "-at."
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Internal rhyme: Rhyme that occurs within a single line, which can involve stressed or unstressed syllables, depending on their placement.
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Slant rhyme (or near rhyme): This can involve close sounds that may not be exact matches but are similar, regardless of stress patterns.
While stressed and unstressed syllables are crucial in establishing the rhythm of a poem (such as in meter), rhyme itself is focused on the sound of the syllables at the ends of lines. In summary, the determination of rhyme primarily relies on the last sounds rather than the specific stress pattern in the syllables.