Final answer:
The rhyme scheme contributes significantly to the tone of a poem by providing structure, enhancing musicality, and making the text more memorable. A complex rhyme pattern aligns with the thematic elements and helps establish an atmospheric setting, while deviations from the scheme can draw attention and create tension.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rhyme scheme in poetry is a critical element in establishing the tone of a poem. In particular, a complex rhyme scheme can add to the mood by providing a musicality and structure that accompanies the content. For example, the intricate pattern described as 'a b a b c d d c e f e f' in one poem helps to enhance the medieval, gothic atmosphere within which it is set. This pattern, with its interwoven sounds, highlights the careful craft of the poem and supports the setting and themes within the text.
Moreover, the purpose of rhyme in poetry, generally speaking, goes beyond the mere aesthetics of matching sounds. Rhymes can create a sense of expectation and fulfillment, and often sustain a reader's interest. It generates a musical rhythm, making the poem more memorable. It's also notable that some poems may intentionally deviate from a consistent rhyme scheme to introduce tension or to draw attention to particular lines, further affecting the tone.
Therefore, of the given options, the one that best summarizes how the rhyme scheme contributes to the tone of the poem would be statement 3: "The rhyme scheme creates a complex pattern that enhances the tone of the poem." This statement acknowledges that the structural aspects of a poem, including its rhyme scheme, work in tandem with the words and content to produce the overall tone.