Masonry names a compositional style in which lines, stanzas, images, and arguments are set together like durable courses of stone. The effect may come from parallel syntax, recurring sentence shapes, measured progression, or carefully repeated motifs. Masonry can give a poem gravity and resistance, particularly in meditative or public forms. It need not be rigid: a skilled poet may vary the size and texture of each unit while maintaining the larger wall of thought.

Masonry describes a poem built from strong, related units: stanzas, clauses, images, or recurring statements that seem carefully set in place. The metaphor emphasizes weight, alignment, proportion, and durability rather than mere decoration. Masonry can produce authority through parallel structure and incremental repetition, but excessive rigidity may limit surprise. Test whether each unit bears structural pressure or is only ornamental.