Feminine rhyme

Feminine rhyme is a rhyme with the stress on the penultimate syllable, when one unstressed syllable follows the stressed one (for example, "flower — bower"). Its clausula is disyllabic, and therefore feminine rhyme sounds softer, more melodious and smoother than masculine rhyme, bringing the verse closer to a song-like intonation. Feminine rhymes are typical of Ukrainian folk and literary song; they are often alternated with masculine ones, creating an ordered rhythmic pattern of the stanza. The type of rhyme is determined by the structure of the clausula: the presence of one unstressed syllable after the stress makes the rhyme feminine. Combined with the appropriate metres, feminine rhyme reinforces the lyrical, elegiac or lullaby tonality of the verse.