---
name: poetry-meter-and-rhyme-checker
description: Counts syllables per line with a transparent heuristic, checks common forms (haiku, limerick, iambic pentameter targets), maps end-rhyme schemes (AABB, ABAB, ABCB), and flags near-misses with suggested edits. Use when a user asks "does this scan?", "is this a haiku?", or "what is my rhyme scheme?". Includes a tested stdlib Python checker.
---
# Poetry Meter and Rhyme Checker
You help writers see how a draft scans: syllables per line, a plausible stress sketch for English meter targets, and the end-rhyme scheme. You are honest that English syllable counting is heuristic, you show your work, and you suggest small edits instead of rewriting the poem unless asked.
## Files in this skill
- `scripts/poetry_check.py` - syllable estimates, form checks, rhyme-scheme detection (Python 3 standard library only)
- `references/forms-and-targets.md` - syllable and rhyme targets for common short forms
- `references/syllable-heuristic.md` - how the counter works and where it fails (names, -ed, diphthongs)
- `templates/poetry-report.md` - the report shape to return
- `examples/example-haiku-and-quatrain.md` - worked examples
## Workflow
### 1. Collect the facts
- The poem text (keep the user's line breaks).
- Target form if any: haiku, tanka, limerick, sonnet couplet, free verse with a rhyme check only, or custom syllable pattern.
- Dialect notes (US/UK spelling) when relevant to endings like `-our` / `-or`.
### 2. Run the checker
```bash
python3 scripts/poetry_check.py poem.txt
python3 scripts/poetry_check.py poem.txt --form haiku
python3 scripts/poetry_check.py poem.txt --form limerick --rhyme
python3 scripts/poetry_check.py - --json < poem.txt
```
### 3. Advise
1. Show a per-line syllable table and the detected rhyme scheme.
2. Say whether the form target passed, and which lines miss by how many syllables.
3. Offer minimal edits (swap a synonym, split a compound, drop a filler word) rather than a full rewrite.
4. Deliver with `templates/poetry-report.md`.
## Rules
- Always label syllable counts as estimates.
- Do not mock the writer's voice; keep suggestions optional.
- For free verse, still report syllables and rhyme if useful, without forcing a form.
FILE:references/forms-and-targets.md
# Forms and targets
| Form | Syllable target (lines) | Typical rhyme |
|---|---|---|
| Haiku (English teaching form) | 5 / 7 / 5 | usually unrhymed |
| Tanka | 5 / 7 / 5 / 7 / 7 | usually unrhymed |
| Limerick | ~8–9 / 8–9 / 5–6 / 5–6 / 8–9 | AABBA |
| Quatrain (ballad) | often 8 / 6 / 8 / 6 | ABCB or ABAB |
| Heroic couplet | ~10 / 10 (iambic pentameter feel) | AA |
Exact classical Japanese mora counts differ from English syllable teaching forms; this skill uses the common English classroom targets unless the user asks for mora-aware analysis.
FILE:references/syllable-heuristic.md
# Syllable heuristic (honest limits)
The script estimates English syllables by:
1. Lowercasing and stripping punctuation.
2. Counting vowel groups (`a e i o u y`) with common silent-`e` and `-ed` / `-es` adjustments.
3. Treating hyphenated compounds as the sum of parts.
## Known failure modes
- Proper names (`Olivia`, `Michael`) and loanwords.
- Words where `y` is consonantal (`beyond`) vs vocalic (`rhythm` is still hard).
- `-ism`, `-tion`, and compressed pronunciations (`family` as 2 or 3).
When a count looks wrong, say so and offer a manual override in the report.
FILE:templates/poetry-report.md
# Poetry meter and rhyme report
## Target form
- …
## Per-line table
| # | Line | Syllables (est.) | End word | Rhyme letter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
## Form check
- Pass / fail: …
- Misses: …
## Rhyme scheme
- …
## Minimal edit ideas
- …
## Notes on uncertain counts
- …
FILE:examples/example-haiku-and-quatrain.md
# Examples
## Haiku (should pass 5-7-5)
```
An old silent pond
A frog jumps into the pond—
Splash! Silence again.
```
Estimated syllables often land near 5 / 7 / 5 depending on `silent` and `silence`.
## Quatrain rhyme ABCB
```
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
```
End words deep/keep/sleep/sleep → AAAA if all rhyme together; a true ABCB sample should use different B and C words.
FILE:scripts/poetry_check.py
#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""Estimate syllables, check simple forms, and map end-rhyme schemes.
Usage:
python3 poetry_check.py poem.txt
python3 poetry_check.py poem.txt --form haiku
python3 poetry_check.py poem.txt --form limerick --rhyme
python3 poetry_check.py - --json < poem.txt
"""
from __future__ import annotations
import argparse
import json
import re
import sys
from pathlib import Path
FORMS = {
"haiku": [5, 7, 5],
"tanka": [5, 7, 5, 7, 7],
"limerick": None, # soft ranges handled separately
}
VOWELS = set("aeiouy")
def strip_word(w: str) -> str:
return re.sub(r"[^a-zA-Z']", "", w).lower()
def syllables_word(word: str) -> int:
w = strip_word(word)
if not w:
return 0
# common overrides
overrides = {
"poem": 2, "poems": 2, "fire": 1, "hour": 1, "our": 1, "//": 0,
"family": 3, "every": 3, "different": 3, "interesting": 4,
"rhythm": 2, "business": 2, "wednesday": 2, "beautiful": 3,
}
if w in overrides:
return overrides[w]
if "-" in word:
return sum(syllables_word(p) for p in word.split("-"))
# remove trailing silent e
base = w
if base.endswith("e") and not base.endswith(("le", "ue", "oe")) and len(base) > 2:
base = base[:-1]
# -ed endings: walked=1 extra often silent
if re.search(r"[^aeiou]ed$", w) and not w.endswith(("ted", "ded")):
base = re.sub(r"ed$", "", w)
if base.endswith("e"):
base = base[:-1]
groups = re.findall(r"[aeiouy]+", base)
count = len(groups) if groups else 1
# adjust ion/ial
if w.endswith(("tion", "sion", "cial", "tial")):
count = max(count, 2)
return max(1, count)
def end_word(line: str) -> str:
words = [w for w in re.findall(r"[A-Za-z']+", line)]
return words[-1].lower() if words else ""
def rhyme_key(word: str) -> str:
w = strip_word(word)
if not w:
return ""
aliases = {
"you": "oo", "blue": "oo", "too": "oo", "two": "oo", "to": "oo", "through": "oo",
"threw": "oo", "shoe": "oo", "who": "oo", "new": "oo", "knew": "oo", "true": "oo",
"lee": "ee", "tea": "ee", "glee": "ee", "sea": "ee", "me": "ee", "we": "ee", "be": "ee",
"green": "een", "keen": "een", "seen": "een", "mean": "een",
}
if w in aliases:
return aliases[w]
matches = list(re.finditer(r"[aeiouy]+", w))
if not matches:
return w
start = matches[-1].start()
if len(matches) >= 2 and len(w) - start < 2:
start = matches[-2].start()
tail = w[start:]
# light normalization for common English end-rhymes
for a, b in (
("igh", "i"), ("ea", "ee"), ("ee", "ee"), ("ey", "ee"), ("ie", "ee"),
("ay", "ei"), ("ai", "ei"), ("ou", "ow"), ("oo", "u"), ("ue", "u"),
):
if a in tail:
tail = tail.replace(a, b)
return tail
def rhyme_scheme(end_words: list[str]) -> str:
mapping = {}
letters = []
next_ord = 0
for w in end_words:
key = rhyme_key(w)
if not key:
letters.append("-")
continue
# near-rhyme: same key
if key not in mapping:
# also merge if share last 2 chars and vowel
found = None
for k, let in mapping.items():
if k == key or (len(k) >= 2 and len(key) >= 2 and k[-2:] == key[-2:]):
found = let
mapping[key] = let
break
if found is None:
let = chr(ord("A") + next_ord)
next_ord += 1
mapping[key] = let
letters.append(mapping[key])
return "".join(letters)
def limerick_ok(counts: list[int]) -> tuple[bool, str]:
if len(counts) != 5:
return False, f"expected 5 lines, got {len(counts)}"
ranges = [(7, 10), (7, 10), (4, 7), (4, 7), (7, 10)]
misses = []
for i, (c, (lo, hi)) in enumerate(zip(counts, ranges), 1):
if not (lo <= c <= hi):
misses.append(f"line {i}: {c} not in {lo}-{hi}")
return (not misses), ("; ".join(misses) if misses else "ok")
def analyze(text: str, form: str | None) -> dict:
lines = [ln.rstrip() for ln in text.splitlines() if ln.strip()]
rows = []
counts = []
ends = []
for i, ln in enumerate(lines, 1):
words = re.findall(r"[A-Za-z']+(?:-[A-Za-z']+)*", ln)
sc = sum(syllables_word(w) for w in words)
ew = end_word(ln)
counts.append(sc)
ends.append(ew)
rows.append({"n": i, "line": ln, "syllables": sc, "end": ew})
scheme = rhyme_scheme(ends)
form_result = None
if form == "limerick":
ok, detail = limerick_ok(counts)
rhyme_ok = scheme == "AABBA"
form_result = {"form": form, "pass": ok and rhyme_ok, "detail": detail,
"rhyme_expected": "AABBA", "rhyme_got": scheme}
elif form in FORMS and FORMS[form]:
target = FORMS[form]
if len(counts) != len(target):
form_result = {"form": form, "pass": False,
"detail": f"expected {len(target)} lines, got {len(counts)}",
"target": target, "got": counts}
else:
misses = [f"line {i}: got {g}, want {t}" for i, (g, t) in enumerate(zip(counts, target), 1) if g != t]
form_result = {"form": form, "pass": not misses, "detail": "; ".join(misses) or "ok",
"target": target, "got": counts}
return {"lines": rows, "rhyme_scheme": scheme, "form_check": form_result}
def main(argv: list[str]) -> int:
ap = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
ap.add_argument("path", help="Poem file, or - for stdin")
ap.add_argument("--form", choices=["haiku", "tanka", "limerick"], help="Form to validate")
ap.add_argument("--rhyme", action="store_true", help="Always print rhyme scheme (default on)")
ap.add_argument("--json", action="store_true")
args = ap.parse_args(argv)
text = sys.stdin.read() if args.path == "-" else Path(args.path).read_text(encoding="utf-8")
result = analyze(text, args.form)
if args.json:
json.dump(result, sys.stdout, indent=2)
sys.stdout.write("\n")
else:
print("n | syl | end | line")
for r in result["lines"]:
print(f"{r['n']:<2}| {r['syllables']:<3}| {r['end']:<12}| {r['line']}")
print(f"rhyme scheme: {result['rhyme_scheme']}")
fc = result["form_check"]
if fc:
print(f"form {fc['form']}: {'PASS' if fc['pass'] else 'FAIL'} ({fc['detail']})")
if "rhyme_expected" in fc:
print(f" rhyme expected {fc['rhyme_expected']}, got {fc['rhyme_got']}")
if result["form_check"] and not result["form_check"]["pass"]:
return 1
return 0
if __name__ == "__main__":
sys.exit(main(sys.argv[1:]))