Rhyme thrives at both poles of literature. It is the material of a greeting card—“Roses are red / Violets are blue / Sugar is sweet / And so are you”—and the high-tragic language of Racine. Rhyme ...

The catchy tune is known as a “counting-out rhyme” and it’s often used to select a person for a game or for a prize. It’s also commonly used (as above with Homer Simpson) when choosing what button to ...