Rhyme is a widely observed phenomenon both historically and geographically. According to the established view, the phenomenon of rhyme was not unique to a particular poetic tradition that later expanded elsewhere, but rather developed simultaneously in various places (Brogan and Cushman 2016). In Western poetry, it appeared gradually, probably after the combination of older oxytone assonance types, oxytone alliteration, and consonance (Kornilios 1996: 29). In ancient Greek poetry, rhyming patterns were rarely attested. Sporadically, it was present only in Homer, in the poetry and drama of the Classical period, and the works of Alexandrian poets. With the rise of medieval and prerevolutionary poetry, its usage was popularized, while the influence of Western rhyming patterns was prevalent in Modern Greek poetry. Finally, during the 19^th century, rhyme became an essential characteristic of Greek and foreign poetry, alike (Spatalas 1997).

Rhyme has both a structural function in poetry (Kokolis 1993) and constitutes a basic decorative device. The aesthetic pleasure that can be drawn from various rhyming motifs partly lies in their predictable patterns, as the readers (or more rarely nowadays, the listeners) draw pleasure from the realization of the poetic structure, as it is completed through its rhyming pairs (Adams 1997, Wesling 1980).  Certain scholars consider rhyme to be an “ornament to the verse,” meaning that its function is an optional addition and, thus, not necessary (Stavrou 2010, Saralis 1991). On the other hand, its semantic dimension has also been noted (Adams 1997). The view that rhyming pairs are interrelated on a semantic and conceptional level as well, broadens the function of the rhyme beyond an acoustic and aesthetic scope.

Over the last century, due to the predominance of free verse, the systematic use of rhyme alongside other stricter metrical structures has declined significantly, although it has not been completely abandoned. A rhyming revival is observed in contemporary genres, hybrids of music and (oral) poetry, such as rap and hip hop, for which rhyme acts as an integral and instrumental part (Bradley 2009, Caplan 2014).