A couplet is a pair of lines of verse. In Poetry, the meter or metre is the basic rhythmic structure of a verse. It usually consists of two lines that rhyme and have the same meter. Some cultures have decorative traditions associated with them. They are mostly used in Africa by the spiritual leaders of different tribes.
Couplets in Western poetry
Traditionally, Western couplets are smart rhyme, although not all couplets rhyme (a poem may use white space to mark out couplets as well). The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings Couplets with a meter of iambic pentameter are called heroic couplets. Iambic pentameter is a type of meter that is used in Poetry and Drama. A heroic couplet is a traditional form for English Poetry, commonly used for epic and Narrative poetry; it refers to poems constructed from a The Poetic epigram is also in the couplet form. An epigram is a short Poem, often with a clever twist at the end or a concise and witty statement Couplets can also appear in more complex rhyme schemes. For example, Shakespearean sonnets end with a couplet. The sonnet is one of the poetic forms that can be found in Lyric poetry from Europe.
Rhyming couplets are one of the simplest rhyme schemes in poetry. Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales are written in rhyming couplets. Geoffrey Chaucer (c 1343 – 25 October 1400? was an English author poet Philosopher, bureaucrat, courtier and Diplomat. The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century (two of them in Prose, the rest in verse) John Dryden in the 17th century and Alexander Pope in the 18th century were both well known for their writing in heroic couplets. John Dryden (– was an influential English poet Literary critic, Translator and playwright who dominated the literary life of Restoration England Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 – 30 May 1744 is generally regarded as the greatest English Poet of the eighteenth century best known for his Satirical
Because the rhyme comes so quickly in rhyming couplets, it tends to call attention to itself. Good rhyming couplets tend to "snap" as both the rhyme and the idea come to a quick close in two lines. Here are some examples of rhyming couplets where the sense as well as the sound "rhymes":
-
- True wit is nature to advantage distressed,
- What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed.
- — Eve King
This should be:
-
- "True wit is nature to advantage _dressed_
- What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed. "
- — Alexander Pope
-
- Whether or not we find what we are seeking
- is idle, biologically speaking.
- — Edna St. Vincent Millay (at the end of a sonnet)
On the other hand, because rhyming couplets have such a predictable rhyme scheme, they can feel artificial and plodding. Edna St Vincent Millay ( February 22, 1892 &ndash October 19, 1950) was an American lyrical poet and playwright and the first Here is a Pope parody of the predictable rhymes of his era:
-
- Where-e'er you find "the cooling western breeze,"
- In the next line, it "whispers through the trees;"
- If crystal streams "with pleasing murmurs creep,"
- The readers threatened (not in vain) with "sleep. "
Couplets in Chinese culture
Eight is considered a lucky number in Chinese tradition, so Chinese couplets usually consists of two lines of four characters each, often written from top to bottom to add formality. In Chinese poetry, a duìlián (对联 simplified(對聯 traditional or antithetical couplet is a pair of lines of poetry pasted on the sides of doors leading A Chinese character, also known as a Han character ( is a Logogram used in writing Chinese (hanzi Japanese (
Couplets may be seen on doorposts in Chinese communities worldwide. They are usually placed there as part of the Chinese New Year festival, often on the first morning of the New Year. Chinese New Year is the most important of the Traditional Chinese holidays. The couplets are usually purchased at a market a few days before and glued to the doorframes. Many of them have been used for generations and contain traditional hopes for prosperity. Others reflect more recent concerns. For example, the CCTV New Year Gala usually promotes couplets reflecting current political themes in mainland China. Mainland China, Continental China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term synonymous with the area that is under the jurisdiction
Couplets in South Asian poetry
Rhyming couplets are also used in other poetic traditions, including non-Western ones. Kurals, which form a subclass of the Venpa class of Tamil poetry, are couplets. The Kural is one of the most important forms of classical Tamil Poetry. Venpa ( in Tamil) is a form of classical Tamil Poetry. Classical Tamil poetry has been classified based upon the rules of metric prosody Tamil (ta தமிழ்; t̪əmɨɻ is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. Tirukkural is a popular book written in Kural Venpa form. The Kural is one of the most important forms of classical Tamil Poetry.
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic