Home › Glossary › Letter A

AAB stanza poem

Form
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A stanza form rooted in blues lyricism, typically featuring two repeated or rhyming lines followed by a contrasting third (AAB pattern).

Detailed Definition
A poem structured in stanzas where each stanza follows an AAB rhyme scheme, meaning the first two lines rhyme with each other while the third line introduces a different rhyme sound. This pattern creates a sense of completion followed by variation, often used to build momentum or introduce new ideas. Common in ballads and lyric poetry, the AAB pattern can create a question-and-answer effect or establish-then-shift dynamic. Blues music frequently employs this structure with a repeated first line followed by a response line.
Example
Example in poetry:
AAB stanza poem example: Two lines rhyme and the third is different, e.g., "The sky is blue, the grass is green, (A) The sun has set, a quiet scene, (A) Night falls without a sound." (B)
Additional Notes
An AAB stanza poem uses a rhyme scheme where the first two lines rhyme with each other and the third line introduces a new rhyme; common in ballads and lyrical poetry, this structure creates a sense of resolution or shift in the final line.
Also Known As
Couplet-closing stanza Double-rhyme quatrain variant AAB rhyme form Blues poem
Skip to main content