Stanza: Difference between revisions

{{About|the term in poetry}}

In [[poetry]], a '''stanza''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|t|æ|n|z|ə}}; from [[Italian language|Italian]] ''stanza'' {{IPA-it|ˈstantsa|}}, "room") is a grouped set of lines within a poem, usually set off from others by a blank line or [[Indentation (typesetting)|indentation]].<ref>The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms. Murfin & Ray pg. 455</ref> Stanzas can have regular [[rhyme]] and [[Metre (poetry)|metrical schemes]], though stanzas are not strictly required to have either. There are many unique [[:Category: Stanzaic form|forms of stanzas]]. Some stanzaic forms are simple, such as four-line [[quatrain]]s. Other forms are more complex, such as the [[Spenserian stanza]]. [[Fixed verse|Fixed verse poems]], such as [[sestina]]s, can be defined by the number and form of their stanzas. The term ''stanza'' is similar to ''[[strophe]]'', though strophe sometimes refers to an irregular set of lines, as opposed to regular, rhymed stanzas.<ref>The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms. Murfin & Ray pg. 457</ref>