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Kipling’s use of rhyme in “The White Man’s Burden” follows two key principles: simplicity and accessibility. The rhymes that appear throughout the poem are simple and straightforward. Instead of seeking unexpected rhyme pairs to surprise and delight the reader, Kipling opts for basic rhymes such as “kings” and “things” (lines 26 and 28), or “light” and “light” (lines 38 and 40). Furthermore, the rhymes he chooses are almost always exact. One exception to this rule is the pairing of “reward” and “guard” (lines 34 and 36), which is just slightly imprecise. Another minor divergence from exact rhyme appears in the pairing of “less” and “weariness” (lines 42 and 44). The divergence here arises from the fact that, whereas “less” is a stressed syllable, the -ness ending of “weariness” is not. But other than these minor exceptions, all the rhyme pairs in the poem are precise matches. The simplicity and precision of the rhymes enhance the poem’s readability, making it easier for the reader to grasp the speaker’s call to “take up the white man’s burden.”

The poem’s overall rhyme scheme also enhances its readability. Each of the poem’s seven stanzas follows the same rhyming pattern: ABCBDEFE. This scheme neatly divides each octave into two four-line segments, which helps organize each stanza into readily perceivable units of meaning. Such organization is particularly helpful for comprehension in the case of stanzas that comprise a single, long sentence. For example, consider stanza 2 (lines 9–16):

     Take up the White Man's burden—
         In patience to abide
     To veil the threat of terror
         And check the show of pride;
     By open speech and simple,
         An hundred times made plain,
     To seek another’s profit,
         And work another’s gain.

This stanza consists of a single sentence that has been broken into two four-line units, separated by a semicolon. The rhyme scheme gives each of these units an internal organization that helps the reader (or listener) group them into distinct units of meaning. Being able to “hear” these distinct units aids comprehension, allowing the speaker’s audience to follow their line of thinking and contemplate their overall message.

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