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Rhyme royal

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 seven-line stanza in iambic pentameter with the rhyme scheme ABABBCC, historically used by Chaucer and later English poets.

Detailed Definition
Rhyme royal is a seven-line stanza of iambic pentameter with rhyme scheme ABABBCC, popularized by Chaucer in Troilus and Criseyde and used by Shakespeare and Milton; its structure allows for narrative development in the quatrains and resolution in the closing couplet, blending flexibility with formal elegance.
Example
Example in poetry:
Rhyme royal: Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde (ABABBCC); Shakespeare’s Rape of Lucrece; Seven-line iambic pentameter stanzas; Modern: Heaney’s “Station Island” uses it for gravitas.
Additional Notes
Rhyme royal consists of seven-line stanzas in iambic pentameter, rhyming ABABBCC. Chaucer's invention, used in "Troilus and Criseyde." Related to ottava rima. More compact than Spenserian stanza. Balances narrative and lyric modes.
Also Known As
Chaucerian stanza seven-line stanza
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