Linked tercet

Structure
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 three-line stanza connected to the next by rhyme, repetition, or thematic continuity

Detailed Definition
A linked tercet is a three-line stanza connected to adjacent stanzas through shared rhyme, repeated words, or thematic continuity, creating a chain-like progression; this technique fosters narrative flow or meditative accumulation, as in terza rima or modern sequences where each tercet both concludes and propels the poem forward through interlocking elements.
Example
Example in poetry:
Dante’s terza rima in “Inferno,” where each tercet links to the next via rhyme (ABA BCB CDC); Shelley’s “Ode to the West Wind,” using interlocking tercets; Modern examples include Adrienne Rich’s “Diving into the Wreck,” with tercets that echo and advance narrative; Seamus Heaney’s “Station Island,” using linked tercets for spiritual pilgrimage
Additional Notes
A linked tercet uses rhyme or image to connect stanzas sequentially (e.g., ABA BCB), creating chain-like progression; ideal for narrative or philosophical poems requiring continuity.
Also Known As
Chained Tercet Interwoven Triplet Sequential Stanza Linked Rhyme Unit Interwoven three-line Threaded tercet
Skip to main content