Ottava rima facts for kids

Ottava rima is a special type of stanza (which is like a paragraph in a poem) that has eight lines. It follows a specific rhyming pattern: the first line rhymes with the third and fifth lines, the second line rhymes with the fourth and sixth lines, and the last two lines rhyme with each other. We write this pattern as a-b-a-b-a-b-c-c.

What is Ottava Rima?

Ottava rima is a poetic form that uses eight lines in each stanza. Think of a stanza as a small section of a poem, like a paragraph in a story. Each line in an ottava rima stanza has a specific number of syllables, usually ten or eleven, depending on the language. The most important part is its unique rhyming pattern:

• The first six lines rhyme in an alternating way (a-b-a-b-a-b).
• The final two lines form a rhyming couplet (c-c), meaning they rhyme with each other. This ending couplet often provides a strong finish or a witty twist to the stanza.

Where Did It Come From?

Ottava rima started in Italy a long time ago, around the 14th century. It became very popular in the 15th and 16th centuries. Italian poets used it for long narrative poems, which are like epic stories told in verse. From Italy, this poetic form traveled to other countries like Spain and Portugal, where poets also adopted it for their own works.

Famous Poets Who Used It

Many famous poets have used ottava rima to tell their stories and express their ideas.

• In Italy, two very important poets were Ludovico Ariosto and Torquato Tasso. They wrote long, exciting poems using this form.
• In Spain, Alonso de Ercilla y Zúñiga used it for his epic poem about the conquest of Chile.
• In Portugal, Luís Vaz de Camões wrote his famous national epic, The Lusiads, in ottava rima.
• Later, in England, the form became more popular. A well-known example is Lord Byron's long poem Don Juan, which uses ottava rima to tell a humorous and adventurous story.
• The American poet Emma Lazarus, famous for her poem on the Statue of Liberty, also used ottava rima in some of her works.

An Example

Here is an example of ottava rima from the poetry of Emma Lazarus. You can see how the lines rhyme following the a-b-a-b-a-b-c-c pattern:

Master and Sage, greetings and health to thee, (a)

From thy most meek disciple! Deign once more (b)

Endure me at thy feet, enlighten me, (a)

As when upon my boyish head of yore, (b)

Midst the rapt circle gathered round thy knee (a)

Thy sacred vials of learning thou didst pour. (b)

By the large lustre of thy wisdom orbed (c)

Be my black doubts illumined and absorbed. (c)

In this example:

• "thee," "me," and "knee" rhyme (a rhymes).
• "more," "yore," and "pour" rhyme (b rhymes).
• "orbed" and "absorbed" rhyme (c rhymes).

Why Is It Important?

Ottava rima is important because it allowed poets to write long, detailed stories in a structured way. The repeating rhyme scheme and stanza length gave poems a musical quality and made them easier to remember. It was often used for heroic tales, adventures, and even comedies, showing its flexibility for different kinds of stories.

See also

• In Spanish: Octava real para niños