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Eight-line stanza

Structure
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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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 of exactly eight lines, commonly found in sonnets (as the octave) or ottava rima.

Detailed Definition
An Eight-line stanza, or octave, is a common structural unit in poetry—especially in Italian sonnets—that often presents a problem, scenario, or thematic proposition; it typically follows a consistent rhyme scheme (e.g., ABBAABBA) and meter, providing a cohesive block of thought that sets up a volta or resolution in subsequent lines.
Example
Example in poetry:
Thomas Hardy’s “The Darkling Thrush” uses eight-line stanzas (octaves) to frame desolation and hope; Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market” alternates between varied stanza lengths, including eight-line blocks; Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “In Memoriam” employs eight-line stanzas (ABBAABBA) throughout; A.E. Housman’s “A Shropshire Lad” includes poems like “XL” with eight-line stanzas of consistent meter.
Additional Notes
An Eight-line stanza (octave) often follows ABBAABBA rhyme (Petrarchan sonnet first part) or other patterns; useful for presenting a problem or scene before a sestet’s resolution; also appears in ottava rima (ABABABCC).
Also Known As
Octave octet stanza eight-line block ottava stanza Octet Huitain
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