What's a slant rhyme?

 Slant rhymes are rhyming structures with words that share similar sounds but aren't exactly perfect rhymes. They can be words that have the same consonant sounds with different vowel sounds, or the same vowel sounds with different consonant sounds.

Emily Dickinson is known for using slant rhyme in her poetry. In “Not any higher stands the Grave,” she uses a perfect rhyme with “Men” and “Ten” in the first stanza, then breaks expectations by using a slant rhyme with “Queen” and “Afternoon” in the second.

“Not any higher stands the Grave
For Heroes than for Men –
Not any nearer for the Child
Than numb Three Score and Ten –

This latest Leisure equal lulls
The Beggar and his Queen
Propitiate this Democrat
A Summer’s Afternoon –

 

The children’s nursery rhyme “This Little Piggy” features slant rhyme with the words “home” and “none.”

“This little piggy went to market,
This little piggy stayed home,
This little piggy had roast beef,
This little piggy had none,
And this little piggy cried ‘wee wee wee’ all the way home.”

Examples of Slant Rhyme in the Poem:

Here’s the full first stanza for reference:

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –

1. “soul” / “all” (Lines 2 and 4)

• These words do not rhyme exactly but have similar vowel sounds, making them a slant rhyme.

• "soul" ends in an "ol" sound and "all" in an "all" sound — not identical, but close enough to create an echo.

Here’s another stanza with potential slant rhymes:

And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –

2. “heard” / “Bird” (Lines 1 and 3)

• This is closer to an imperfect rhyme than a perfect one. While both end in a "rd" sound, the vowels differ slightly.

• Depending on pronunciation, this could be interpreted as either a slant rhyme or a perfect rhyme. Dickinson often played with sound in this way.

Overall, Dickinson’s use of slant rhyme in this poem contributes to its lyrical quality without being overly predictable, mirroring the elusive and persistent nature of hope itself.