In poetry, internal rhyme, or middle rhyme, is rhyme that occurs in a single line of verse.

Internal rhyme occurs in the middle of a line, as exemplified by Coleridge, "In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud" or "Whiles all the night through fog-smoke white," in "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." "Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven" also exhibits internal rhyme:

<poem>

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. "'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door — </poem>

Internal rhyme is also used extensively in modern hip hop, rap music,artists such as Kool Moe Dee, and Rakim, as demonstrated in the latter's piece, "My Melody":

<poem> My unusual style will confuse you a while If I were water, I'd flow in the Nile So many rhymes you won't have time to go for yours Just because of applause I have to pause Right after tonight is when I prepare To catch another sucker-duck MC out there My strategy has to be tragedy, catastrophe And after this you'll call me your majesty... </poem>

Scott Troy Thurston (born January 10, 1952) is an American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and session musician. He is currently a member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, in which he sings harmony vocals and plays guitar, keyboards, and harmonica.

Raised in Medford, Oregon, Thurston started out as a session musician. He has played with Jackson Browne (1985 to 1996), The Cult (1991), Melissa Etheridge, Glenn Frey, Hokus Pokus, Iggy Pop And The Stooges (as part of the band from 1973 to 1974, and recordings with Iggy Pop in 1975, 1977 and 1979), Jump, Nils Lofgren, The Motels, Ron Asheton's The New Order, Bonnie Raitt, and John Trudell.

Thurston later became a professional songwriter, penning tunes for (and sometimes with) Jackson Browne, Iggy Pop, and The Motels.^{[citation needed]}

James Williamson of Iggy and the Stooges has said, “I was over at Capitol Records and as I was going out I was watching this guy recording and it was Scott Thurston with this other band. He was cool, I could hear that he was a great piano player, so I got his contact info and I said, 'You wanna play with us?' When we put the band Iggy and the Stooges back together, I asked him if he wanted to play with us, and he said, 'Sure,' and the rest is history."^{[citation needed]}