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Terza rima

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 verse form of interlocking three-line stanzas with a chain rhyme scheme (ABA BCB CDC...), famously used by Dante.

Detailed Definition
Terza rima is an interlocking three-line stanza form with a rhyme scheme of ABA BCB CDC, etc., originating in Dante’s Divine Comedy; its chain-like structure creates forward momentum and thematic continuity, making it ideal for narrative or philosophical verse, and has been adapted by poets like Shelley and Frost for its fluid yet rigorous architecture.
Example
Example in poetry:
Terza rima: Dante’s Divine Comedy uses ABA BCB CDC rhyme; Shelley’s “Ode to the West Wind” adapts it in English; Terza rima’s interlocking creates forward momentum; Contemporary examples in Natasha Trethewey’s elegies
Additional Notes
Terza rima: An interlocking three-line stanza form (ABA BCB CDC...); invented by Dante for The Divine Comedy; creates forward momentum and structural cohesion.
Also Known As
Interlocking tercets Dante's form ABA BCB chain Terza rima chain
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