A. rather superfluous controversy has gone on in the Times
this week as to rhyme,—one writer treating rhyme as partly addressed to the eye as well as to the ear. He considers, for instance, that " Rome " and " home " yield a perfect rhyme, but that " roam " and " home " do not. That is surely absurd. Do not the uneducated who cannot spell appreciate rhyme quite as keenly as the best-read critics P And they would never even know, except by the context, that " Rome " and " roam " had different meanings. As to the further question whether an imperfect rhyme like "give " and " strive," or " Heaven" and " given," is as good as a perfect rhyme,—it is easily answered. Of course it is not in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, though a great master of verse will some- times introduce an imperfect rhyme designedly to throw into relief the effect of the perfect rhymes. But an imperfect rhyme is certainly better than none at all, unless it is so very imperfect as to be almost laughable. And there are very few even of the greatest poets who do not prefer a slightly im- perfect rhyme which better expresses the thought, to a perfect rhyme which lames it.
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