Here's a breakdown:
* The overall structure is a frame story, meaning there's a main narrative that contains smaller stories within it. The frame story itself (the gathering at the inn) is told in blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter).
* Each individual tale within the frame story has its own distinct rhyme scheme, and some even use multiple schemes within a single story.
For example:
* "The Landlord's Tale" uses a simple ABAB rhyme scheme.
* "The Musician's Tale" features a more complex ABCB rhyme scheme.
* "The Student's Tale" shifts between ABAB and AABB schemes.
Longfellow's goal was to create a sense of variety and realism, just as you would find in a real group of people telling stories around a fire. The different rhyme schemes reflect the individual voices and styles of each storyteller.