| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Stanza Forms | a stanza is a division of a poem based on thought or form. Stanzas based on form are marked by their rhyme scheme. Stanzas are known by the number of lines they contain. |
| Couplet | two-line stanza |
| Triplet | three-line stanza |
| Quatrain | four-line stanza |
| Quintet | five-line stanza |
| Sestet | six-line stanza |
| Septet | seven-line stanza |
| Octave | eight-line stanza |
| Limerick | five-line nonsense poem with an anapestic meter. The rhyme scheme is a (a b b a). The first, second, and fifth lines have three stresses, the third and fourth have two stresses |
| Ballad | four-line stanza form with a rhyme scheme of (a b c b). The first and third lines are tetrameter and the second and fourth are trimester |
| Sonnet | fourteen-line stanza form consisting of iambic pentameter. The two major sonnet forms are the Italian/Petrarchan and the English/Shakespearean |
| Italian/Petrarchan | consists of an octave and a sestet. The rhyme scheme is (a b b a a b b a) and either (c d e c d e) or (c d c d c d) |
| English/Shakespearean | consists of three quatrains and a couplet. The rhyme scheme is (a b a b c d c d e f e f g g) |
Combine with other sets
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