The Modern Rhyming Dictionary

by Gene Lees

Gene Lees' bestseller for songwriters has been revised! In addition to providing fascinating, creative and clear techniques for writing lyrics, this edition now a new foreword by renowned songwriters Alan and Marilyn Bergman; a new chapter called “Tattered Standards ” which outlines the lack of literacy in certain modern songs and shows you how to avoid it; a new chapter called “The Words You Choose ” which examines why words from some language families are subconsciously more appealing than those from others; and much more! Invaluable to the beginner, this book will also prove beneficial to professionals, poets, linguists and teachers.

Genres: Music, Reference

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Frederick Eugene John Lees (February 8, 1928 – April 22, 2010) was a Canadian music critic, biographer, lyricist, and journalist.

Lees worked as a newspaper journalist in his native Canada before moving to the United States, where he was a music critic and lyricist.

Reviews

[Elle Jayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

From a literary standpoint, it was interesting learn the differentiation of repetition, identity, and near/slant rhymes from a true rhyme. Although it was more geared towards songwriters, it can also be applied to poetry, as can be titularly gathered. An interesting trend we've seen arise in the 21st century is free form or free verse. Sharply contrasting the classic works from 16th- and 17th- century poetry, free verse poetry is claiming all the leaderboards, with writers such as as Rupi Kaur and Courtney Peppernell. In a way, we are venturing further and further from the origins of poetry, but The Modern Rhyming Dictionary serves as a reminder that innovation does not erase tradition; it builds upon an enduring relationship between language, sound, and meaning.

[Jen H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was utterly invaluable while I was writing my thesis in music linguistic artificial intelligence. It still has a fond fond place in my heart, And is so much better than any rhyming dictionary on the internet