Home › Glossary › Letter O

Ottava rima

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

An Italian stanza form of eight lines, traditionally in iambic pentameter in English.

Detailed Definition
Ottava rima is an eight-line stanza form with the rhyme scheme ABABABCC, traditionally written in iambic pentameter and used for both serious and satirical purposes; Byron’s “Don Juan” exemplifies its comic potential, while earlier Italian poets like Ariosto used it for heroic narrative.
Example
Example in poetry:
Ottava rima is an eight-line stanza (ABABABCC) used by Byron in “Don Juan”: “I want a hero: an uncommon want… / But one whom I shall not describe just yet.”
Additional Notes
Ottava rima: An eight-line stanza of iambic pentameter with rhyme scheme ABABABCC; used in mock-heroic (Byron’s Don Juan) and Italian epics; the couplet often delivers a punchline.
Also Known As
Eight-line rhyme form Italian stanza Byron stanza ABABABCC
Skip to main content