A Spenserian stanza consists of nine lines, with the first eight being iambic pentameter and the last line using alexandrine
Alexandrine
Alexandrine is a name used for several distinct types of verse line with related metrical structures, most of which are ultimately derived from the classical French alexandrine. The line's name derives from its use in the Medieval French Roman d'Alexandre of 1170, although it had already bee…
How many lines are in a Spenserian stanza?
A Spenserian stanza contains 9 lines in total: 8 lines in iambic pentameter (IP) followed by a single 'Alexandrine' line in iambic hexameter, with a rhyme scheme of a-b-a-b-b-c-b-c-c.
What is the rhyme scheme of Spenserian verse?
Written By: Spenserian stanza, verse form that consists of eight iambic pentameter lines followed by a ninth line of six iambic feet (an alexandrine); the rhyme scheme is ababbcbcc. The first eight lines produce an effect of formal unity, while the hexameter completes the thought of the stanza.
What is the purpose of the 9th line of Spenserian stanza?
The ninth line of the Spenserian stanza serves to complete the idea presented in the first eight lines of the stanza. Start practicing writing lines in iambic pentameter followed by lines of 12 syllables before trying to tackle the form and the rhyme scheme at once.
What is the rhyme scheme of each stanza in the poem?
Each stanza contains nine lines in total: eight lines in iambic pentameter followed by a single ' alexandrine ' line in iambic hexameter. The rhyme scheme of these lines is ABABBCBCC.
What is Spenserian stanza example?
Agnes," and Shelley's "The Revolt of Islam" and "Adonais." Shelley is perhaps the greatest master of the Spenserian stanza after Spenser himself. His grasp of the form is quite notable in this, the third stanza from "Adonais": Oh weep for Adonais-he is dead! Wake, melancholy Mother, wake and weep!
How many lines are in Spenserian stanza?
The Spenserian stanza is a fixed verse form invented by Edmund Spenser for his epic poem The Faerie Queene (1590–96). Each stanza contains nine lines in total: eight lines in iambic pentameter followed by a single 'alexandrine' line in iambic hexameter. The rhyme scheme of these lines is ABABBCBCC.
How do you write a Spenserian poem?
A Spenserian sonnet uses the same organizational pattern as a Shakespearian sonnet. In other words, it is also composed of three quatrains followed by a couplet. However the rhyme scheme of a Spenserian sonnet is: ABAB BCBC CDCD EE. Understand the rhyme scheme.
What is the writing style of Edmund Spenser?
Spenser used a distinctive verse form, called the Spenserian stanza, in several works, including The Faerie Queene. The stanza's main metre is iambic pentameter with a final line in iambic hexameter (having six feet or stresses, known as an Alexandrine), and the rhyme scheme is ababbcbcc.
What is a stanza with 10 lines called?
The Dizain Stanza The dizain derives its name from French literature. Dix-pronounced "diz" means "ten" in French. Thus, the dizain stanza form has 10 lines. As other stanza forms, it can stand alone as a complete poem.
What is a stanza with 9 lines called?
A 9-line stanza is often referred to as a "Spenserian stanza" after Edmund Spencer, which uses the rhyme scheme ababbcbcc.
What are the characteristics of a Spenserian sonnet?
What are the characteristics of a Spenserian sonnet? A Spenserian sonnet is made up of fourteen lines written in iambic pentameter, which are divided into three quatrains (or groups of four lines) and one couplet (or a pair of rhyming lines). It is characterized by its abab bcbc cdcd ee rhyming pattern.
What type of rhyme scheme is in a Spenserian sonnet?
abab bcbc cdcd eevariation of rhyme scheme …of the sonnet (known as Spenserian) that follows the English quatrain and couplet pattern but resembles the Italian in using a linked rhyme scheme: abab bcbc cdcd ee.
What does Spenserian mean?
/ (spɛnˈsɪərɪən) / adjective. relating to, in the style of, or characteristic of Edmund Spenser, the English poet (?1552–99), or his poetry. noun. a student or imitator of Edmund Spenser.
What are the main qualities of Spenser poetry?
The five main qualities of Spenser's poetry are (1) a perfect melody; (2) a rare sense of beauty; (3) a splendid imagination, which could gather into one poem heroes, knights, ladies, dwarfs, demons and dragons, classic mythology, stories of chivalry, and the thronging ideals of the Renaissance,—all passing in gorgeous ...
Why Spenser is called poet's poet?
Edumund Spenser was (and is) called "the poet's poet" because of the very high quality of his poetry and because he enjoyed "the pure artistry of his craft" so much. He is also called that because so many other poets thought that he was a great poet.
What kind of poet Spenser is?
Spenser was considered in his day to be the greatest of English poets, who had glorified England and its language by his long allegorical poem The Faerie Queene, just as Virgil had glorified Rome and the Latin tongue by his epic poem the Aeneid.
What is a 8 line stanza called?
8. Octave. A stanza with eight lines written in iambic pentameter, or ten syllable beats per line. The more lines a stanza has the more varieties of rhyme and meter patterns.
How many lines does Ottava Rima have?
eightottava rima, Italian stanza form composed of eight 11-syllable lines, rhyming abababcc.
How many lines does a Chaucerian stanza have?
seven linesA Chaucerian stanza, as popularized by the poet of the same name, contains seven lines. These lines follow a rhyme scheme of ABABBCC and can be separated into a tercet and two couplets or a quatrain and a tercet. Usually, the stanzas also use iambic pentameter.
How many stanzas are in the Faerie Queene?
4,000 stanzasThe Faerie Queene is notable for its form: at over 36,000 lines and over 4,000 stanzas it is one of the longest poems in the English language; it is also the work in which Spenser invented the verse form known as the Spenserian stanza.
How many lines are in a Spenserian stanza?
Invented by . Spenserian stanza, verse form that consists of eight iambic pentameter lines followed by a ninth line of six iambic feet (an alexandrine); the rhyme scheme is ababbcbcc. The first eight lines produce an effect of formal unity, while the hexameter completes the thought of the stanza. Invented by .
What is the meaning of the first eight lines of a stanza?
The first eight lines produce an effect of formal unity, while the hexametercompletes the thought of the stanza. Invented by Edmund Spenserfor his poem The Faerie Queene(1590–1609), the Spenserian stanza has origins in the Old French ballade(eight-line stanzas, rhyming ababbcbc), the Italian ottava rima(eight iambic pentameter lines ...
How many lines are in a Spenserian stanza?
A Spenserian stanza contains 9 lines in total: 8 lines in iambic pentameter (IP) followed by a single ' Alexandrine ' line in iambic hexameter, with a rhyme scheme of a-b-a-b-b-c-b-c-c.
Where did the stanzas come from?
The origin of the stanza has been matter for disagreement among critics of prosody. Schiffer has argued that it was adapted from the old French ballade stanza. But it is much more probable that it was of Italian origin, and that Spencer was influenced by the Italian form ottava rima, which consists of 8 lines of iambic pentameter (or hendecasyllables) with the rhyme scheme a-b-a-b-a-b-c-c. Spenser, who was familiar with ottava rima as it had long been employed in Italy, and was at that very time being used by the school of Tasso, added a line between the Italian 4th and 5th, modified slightly the arrangements of rhyme, and added a foot to the last line, which became an Alexandrine. Another possible influence is rhyme royal, a traditional medieval form used by Geoffrey Chaucer and others, which has 7 lines of iambic pentameter that rhyme a-b-a-b-b-c-c. Most likely, however, is the 8-line ballad stanza with the rhyme scheme a-b-a-b-b-c-b-c, which Chaucer used in his " Monk's Tale ." Spenser would have been familiar with this rhyme scheme and simply added a concluding line to the stanza."
What is irregular spenserians?
Stanzas containing other numbers of lines, in iambic pentameter with a concluding Alexandrine, are often referred to as irregular Spenserians .
When was Spenser's verse revived?
Spenser's verse form fell into disuse in the period immediately following his death. However, it was revived in the 1800's by several notable poets, including:
Who revived the stanza in The Virtuoso?
In the middle of the 18th century the study of Spenser led poets to revive the stanza. The initiators of this revival were Mark Akenside, in The Virtuoso (1737); William Shenstone, in The Schoolmistress (1742); and James Thomson, in The Castle of Indolence (1748). Mary Tighe used it for her once-famous epic of Psyche .
Who wrote the poem "The Eve of St Agnes"?
It was a favourite form at the time of the romantic revival, when it was employed by Thomas Campbell, for his Gertrude of Wyoming (1809); by Keats, in "The Eve of St Agnes" (1820); by Shelley, in The Revolt of Islam (Laon and Cythna) (1818); by Felicia Dorothea Hemans; by Reginald Heber; but pre-eminently by Byron, in Childe Harold (1812-1817). Thomas Cooper, the Chartist, wrote his Purgatory of Suicides (1845) in Spenserian stanza, and Tennyson, part of his Lotus Eaters .
Who created the Spenserian stanza?
The Spenserian stanza was developed by Edmund Spenser for The Faerie Queene and was an adaptation of several preceding stanza forms. The Spenserian stanza is unique for having nine lines and for having the first eight lines iambic pentameter with the ninth line iambic hexameter. Keep this in focus because...
What are the influences of Spenser?
The Old French ballade and the Italian ottava rima are considered the most direct influences on Spenser (as on Chaucer earlier when he traveled Europe in the service of the court). The Olde French ballade was also eight lines and had an ababbcbc rhyme scheme exactly like Chaucer's (or rather Chaucer's was exactly like the Old French ballade). The Italian ottava rima is also eight lines though the rhyme scheme is dissimilar to the others: abababcc. It shows its influence on Spenser's ninth line:
What is a pause in Chaucer's poem?
Like much of English poetry, Chaucer employs a pause in the midst of the line. A pause of this sort is called a caesura and is borrowed from Old English and Old French traditions, for example, Beowulf. The pause, or caesura, is indicated above by two backslashes //. A line in iambic hexameter is not measured by syllables (though some do incorrectly try syllabic counts).
Why is Spenser's ninth line called an alexandrine?
With these differences and one similarity in mind, it is poetic convention to call Spenser's ninth line an alexandrine because the two line forms are similar in principle. Thus the Spenserian stanza is eight lines of iambic pentameter and one Spenserian alexandrine--with a medial caesura, six rhythm-based stresses, and no syllabic count--in the rhyme scheme ababbcbcc. The rhyme scheme is "linked," or concatenated, at the bb repetition and the cc repetition.
How many beats does Spenser's ninth line have?
Spenser's ninth line is identified in English prosody as iambic hexameter (hexameter is Latin for "six"). It has six stressed beats, as in this early line from The Faerie Queene:
What is the old French ballade line called?
The Old French ballade line of six iambic repetitions is called the alexandrine. It has some difference from the English iambic hexameter line. For one thing, the alexandrine is counted as syllables because French is an unstressed language with every syllable carrying the same stress as the others. It also has two major poetic accents and two minor ones. This contrasts with the six rhythmic stresses of iambic hexameter: 4 French stresses to 6 English. Yet both employ a medial caesura (mid-way pause).
What rhyme scheme is used in Spenserian poems?
Rhyme Scheme and Meter. Spenserian forms often employ an intricate, interlocked rhyme scheme , with the favored iambic pentameter serving as the rhythm. These poems are often more difficult to write than a form like the Shakespearean, or English, sonnet, which does not call for as many repeated rhymes.
Who is the Spenserian Sonnet named after?
Three sources viewed here: The Spenserian Sonnet was named for Edmund Spenser 1552-1599, a 16th century English Poet. The Spenserian Sonnet inherited the tradition of the declamatory couplet of Wyatt / Surrey although Spenser used Sicilian quatrains to develop a metaphor, conflict, idea or question logically, with the declamatory couplet resolving ...
What is the form of a sonnet?
The form known as the Spenserian sonnet combines elements from other sonnet forms. This form utilizes only five rhymes, similar to the Petrarchan sonnet, but follows a structure more akin to the Shakespearean sonnet, with three quatrains followed by a couplet. The Spenserian sonnet follows the rhyme scheme, ABAB BCBC CDCD EE, and is written in iambic pentameter. While the “turn” in a Petrarchan sonnet occurs around the ninth line, the realization occurs in the final couplet of a Spenserian sonnet. Spenser often threw in a false turn by using words like “yet” or “but” around the ninth line, but the true resolution or revelation occurs in the final two lines.
How many lines are in the poem The Faerie Queen?
The “Spenserian stanza,” used in Spenser’s poem “The Faerie Queen,” is comprised of eight lines in iambic pentameter and a ninth line, called an alexandrine, with 12 syllables and primary stresses on syllables six and 12. The Spenserian stanza rhymes ABABBCBCC, a very similar scheme to the French ballade and the Italian ottava rima. The repeated rhymes make the form difficult to write, especially in rhyme-poor languages like English. The ninth line of the Spenserian stanza serves to complete the idea presented in the first eight lines of the stanza. Start practicing writing lines in iambic pentameter followed by lines of 12 syllables before trying to tackle the form and the rhyme scheme at once.
How many quatrains are in the sonnet?
Description: This sonnet is arranged as three quatrains and a couplet using rhyme to help interlink. There is a pivot, a change of meaning or direction, that usually occurs in the sonnet at the ninth line. It was developed by Edmund Spenser.
Where does the turn occur in a Petrarchan sonnet?
While the “turn” in a Petrarchan sonnet occurs around the ninth line, the realization occurs in the final couplet of a Spenserian sonnet. Spenser often threw in a false turn by using words like “yet” or “but” around the ninth line, but the true resolution or revelation occurs in the final two lines.
Can you write a sonnet in both Shakespearean and Petrarchan?
It might be useful to write sonnets in both Petrarchan and Shakespearean forms prior to writing a Spenserian sonnet — practice the Petrarchan form to improve your rhyme scheme, but train with the Shakespearean sonnet to work on effective turns in the final couplet.
How many lines are in a stanza?
The Spenserian stanza is a fixed verse form invented by Edmund Spenser for his epic poem The Faerie Queene (1590–96). Each stanza contains nine lines in total: eight lines in iambic pentameter followed by a single ' alexandrine ' line in iambic hexameter. The rhyme scheme of these lines is ABABBCBCC.
What are some of the best poems by Spenser?
Spenser's verse form fell into disuse in the period immediately following his death. However, it was revived in the nineteenth century by several notable poets, including: 1 Mary Tighe in Psyche or the Legend of Love 2 Robert Southey in A Tale of Paraguay 3 Lord Byron in Childe Harold's Pilgrimage 4 James Hogg in Mador of the Moor 5 John Keats in The Eve of St. Agnes 6 Percy Bysshe Shelley in The Revolt of Islam and Adonaïs 7 Sir Walter Scott in The Vision of Don Roderick. 8 Robert Burns in " The Cotter's Saturday Night ", which shows his ability to use English forms while praising Scotland. 9 William Wordsworth in "The Female Vagrant", included in Wordsworth and Coleridge's Lyrical Ballads 10 Alfred, Lord Tennyson in The Lotos-Eaters, in the first part of the poem. 11 John Clare in The Harvest Morning and November 12 George Washington Moon in Elijah the Prophet 13 John Frederick Rowbotham in The Epic of London 14 John Neihardt in The Divine Enchantment 15 William Cullen Bryant in The Ages 16 Sibella Elizabeth Miles in The Wanderer of Scandinavia; or, Sweden Delivered
What is the name of the pentameter that Spenser invented?
Spenser's invention may have been influenced by the Italian form ottava rima, which consists of eight lines of iambic pentameter with the rhyme scheme ABABABCC. This form was used by Spenser's Italian role models Ludovico Ariosto and Torquato Tasso .
How many lines are there in the poem The Forest Sanctuary?
In the long poem The Forest Sanctuary, Felicia Hemans employs a similar nine-line stanza, rhyming ABABCCBDD, with the first eight lines in iambic pentameter and the ninth an alexandrine.
What is the formatting of Faerie Queene?
The formatting, wherein all lines but the first and last are indented, is the same as in contemporary printed editions.
When did Spenser's verse form fall into disuse?
Spenser's verse form fell into disuse in the period immediately following his death. However, it was revived in the nineteenth century by several notable poets, including:
Who is the poet in The Cotter's Saturday Night?
Robert Burns in " The Cotter's Saturday Night ", which shows his ability to use English forms while praising Scotland. William Wordsworth in "The Female Vagrant", included in Wordsworth and Coleridge's Lyrical Ballads. Alfred, Lord Tennyson in The Lotos-Eaters, in the first part of the poem.
