ottava rima

/ɔt'tɑ:və'ri:mə/
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ottava rima

A poet carefully composes an ottava rima stanza in his notebook.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • A specific poetic stanza form consisting of eight lines, typically written in iambic pentameter (heroic verse), with a fixed rhyme scheme of abababcc.
Usage
  • Noun:
    • This term is used in literary analysis and poetry to describe a formal verse structure.
    • It is a technical term from prosody, the study of poetic meter and form.
Examples
  • Noun:
    • Lord Byron's epic poem "Don Juan" is famously written in ottava rima.
    • The poet chose the ottava rima for its potential to build narrative momentum over six lines and conclude with a rhyming couplet.
Advanced Usage
  • The form is of Italian origin and was notably used by Italian poets like Boccaccio and Ariosto before being adopted into English poetry.
  • The final rhyming couplet (cc) often provides a witty, epigrammatic, or conclusive turn to the stanza's subject matter.
Variants and Related Words
  • Stanza: A grouped set of lines within a poem.
  • Terza rima: A verse form consisting of tercets with an interlocking rhyme scheme (aba bcb cdc, etc.).
  • Rhyme royal: A stanza of seven lines in iambic pentameter with the rhyme scheme ababbcc.
Synonyms
  • Verse form: A general term for a specific structure of poetic composition.
  • Stanza form: A more specific term for the structural pattern of a stanza.
Related Idioms or Phrases
  • There are no common idioms or phrasal verbs directly associated with this specific technical term. It is used literally to describe the poetic form.
ottava rima

A poet carefully composes an ottava rima stanza in his notebook.

Noun
  1. a stanza of eight lines of heroic verse with the rhyme scheme abababcc