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French couplet

Form
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 rhymed couplet form common in French poetry, often using alexandrine lines (12 syllables) with rich or feminine rhyme schemes.

Detailed Definition
A French couplet typically refers to a rhymed pair of lines in French poetry, often written in alexandrine meter (twelve syllables), characterized by balanced syntax, rhetorical elegance, and epigrammatic closure; it was a staple of neoclassical drama and didactic verse in France.
Example
Example in poetry:
French couplet uses Alexandrine (12-syllable) rhyming pairs: Racine’s “Phèdre” (“Je le vis, je rougis, je pâlis à sa vue”); Baudelaire’s “Les Fleurs du Mal” employs rhymed Alexandrines; modern examples include Richard Wilbur’s translations preserving form; A.E. Stallings’ “Sestina” adapts French structures; rare in English but seen in Longfellow’s “Evangeline.”
Additional Notes
French couplet: Generally refers to a pair of rhyming lines in French poetry, often employing the alexandrine (twelve-syllable line); distinct from the English heroic couplet in its characteristic meter.
Also Known As
French distich Gallic couplet métrique couplet Alençon couplet
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