The lines below are an example of a stanza. In Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare, the final two lines form a couplet, which is a two-line stanza:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
A stanza is a group of lines that forms the basic unit of a poem. In a sonnet, there are typically four stanzas: three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and a concluding couplet, like the one shown here.
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The length of a stanza can vary as there is no set rule for it in poetry. It depends on the poem’s form and style, and the poet’s intention. A short stanza might consist of just two lines (called a couplet), while a longer stanza, such as those found in epic poetry, can span ten or even twenty lines.
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The word “strophe” is often used as a synonym for stanza to describe a collection of lines that function as a unit in a poem.
In poems with consistent line lengths and regular metrical patterns, “stanza” and “strophe” can be used interchangeably. However, “strophe” is the preferable term for poems that are written in free verse and do not have a regular meter, rhyme scheme, or a consistent set of lines.
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A characteristic of iambic pentameter in Sonnet 29 by William Shakespeare is the number and pattern of stressed or accented syllables in most lines. Each line typically contains 10 syllables, alternating between an unstressed and a stressed one. For example, “That then I scorn to change my state with kings.” While most of the sonnet is written in iambic pentameter, there are some variations, including instances of trochaic meter.
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An unrhymed iambic pentameter is called “blank verse.” The term describes poems that do not rhyme but follow an iambic pentameter pattern: Each line comprises five pairs of syllables alternating between an unstressed and a stressed syllable. The most famous example of a poem written in blank verse is Paradise Lost by John Milton.
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The opening line of Twelfth Night by Shakespeare is an example of iambic pentameter: “If music be the food of love, play on.” It consists of 5 iambs or 5 pairs of syllables with an alternating pattern of an unstressed followed by a stressed syllable.
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The rhyme scheme of a Petrarchan sonnet is usually ABBA ABBA CDE CDE. The Petrarchan sonnet consists of two parts or stanzas:
- An octave (8 lines): here, the rhyme scheme is typically ABBA ABBA. This part introduces the reader to a problem or conflict.
- A sestet (6 lines): here the rhyme scheme follows the pattern CDE CDE or CDC DCD. The sestet provides the solution to the problem introduced in the octave– this is why they have separate rhyme schemes.
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