A group of lines in a poem, separated by blank lines from other stanzas.
A stanza is a group of lines in a poem, separated by a blank line from other stanzas. Stanzas are to poems what paragraphs are to prose — they organize ideas and control pacing.
Stanzas can have any number of lines. Common types include the couplet (2 lines), tercet (3 lines), quatrain (4 lines), and sestet (6 lines). Some poem forms require specific stanza lengths — a sonnet is 14 lines, a villanelle uses tercets and a final quatrain.
How a poet divides their work into stanzas affects the reading experience. Short stanzas create quick, punchy rhythms. Long stanzas allow ideas to develop and flow. A single-stanza poem feels like one unbroken thought.
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