Couplet
Literary term · say it KUP-lit
A couplet is a pair of lines in verse that belong together, usually because they rhyme and share a rhythm. A couplet can stand alone, form part of a longer poem, or bring a speech or poem to a close.
Where couplets appear
Heroic couplets
Heroic couplets are rhyming pairs of lines in iambic pentameter, a rhythm with five main beats per line. They often give a statement a neat, balanced shape.
In The Rape of the Lock, the cutting of Belinda’s lock of hair is told in heroic couplets. The formal rhythm helps treat a small social incident like a grand battle.
In The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope
A sonnet’s final couplet
A Shakespearean sonnet ends with a rhyming couplet. These two lines often sum up the poem or turn its argument in a new direction.
At the end of Sonnet 18, the speaker says that the poem will preserve the beloved’s life for as long as people can read it.
In Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare
A closing couplet in a play
A rhyming couplet can mark the end of a speech, scene, or play. Its paired sounds give the ending a clear sense of completion.
At the end of Romeo and Juliet, the Prince closes the play with a rhyming pair of lines that sums up the lovers’ sorrowful story.
In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
How to spot a couplet
- Look for two neighbouring lines that form a pair.
- Listen for matching end sounds and a similar rhythm.
- Check whether the pair completes a thought or marks an ending.
Does a couplet have to rhyme?
A couplet does not always have to rhyme, although rhyming couplets are the most familiar kind. Two lines may also belong together through their rhythm, sentence structure, or place in a two-line stanza. Rhyme is a strong clue, not an absolute rule.
What is the difference between a couplet and a stanza?
A couplet is a pair of lines, while a stanza is a group of lines set apart as a unit. A two-line stanza is a couplet, but couplets can also appear within longer stanzas or in verse with no stanza breaks.
Related terms
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