Function of Rhyming Words

 

Rhyme partly seems to be enjoyed simple as a repeating pattern that is pleasant to hear. It also serves as a powerful mnemonic device, facilitating memorization. The regular use of tail rhyme helps to mark off the ends of lines, thus clarifying the metrical structure for the listener. As with other poetic techniques, poets use it to suit their own purposes : for example William Shakespeare often used a rhyming couplet to mark off the end of a scene in a play. 

Rhyme alone with meter, helps make a poem musical.  In traditional poetry , a regular rhyme aids the memory for recitation and gives predictable pleasure. A pattern of rhyme , called a scheme , also helps establish the form.  For example the English sonnet has an "abab cdcd efef gg " scheme, ending with a couplet.