Rhyme Is a Parity Bit

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4 pointsjtwaleson3 comments

I think meter, rhythm, rhyme, and larger patterns are primarily ways to anchor a stream of words in memories stored by parts of the brain that process non-linguistic patterns.

So there's definitely a function akin to a parity bit, but I don't think it's the main function of these poetic structures.

So you're saying poetic patterns aren't exactly checksums, but they rhyme? ;)

There's a subgenre of cabaret songs that relies on the error-correcting nature of rhyme to avoid saying things that shouldn't be said, but leave the audience in no doubt as to what had been intended. On the other end of the word, we also have alliteration, as in the 4 F's of behaviour: fighting, fleeing, feeding, and ... mating.

so are harmonics and chords

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