10 of the Best 20th Century American Poets - Poem Analysis
Best 20th Century American Poets · 1 Sylvia Plath · 2 Audre Lorde · 3 e.e. cummings · 4 Maya Angelou · 5 Robert Frost · 6 Marianne Moore · 7 T.S. Eliot · 8 Langston ...
verse
Her full birth name was Audrey Geraldine Lorde and her parents were Caribbean immigrants who settled in Harlem. By the time she was twelve, she had written her first sections of <anchor>verse</anchor>. During this time period, she was able to publish her first poem in the Seventeen magazine .
Verse in Poetry - Definition and Examples - Poem Analysis
Menu

Menu

Cite This Page

# Verse

vurs

Verse is a term that refers to various parts of poetry, such as a single line of poetry, a stanza, or the entire poem.

Traditionally, if a piece of writing is in meter it can be described as “verse.” But, considering how much poetry is written in free verse today, it’s now applied to mean anything that takes on other aspects of a poem. These include a rhyme scheme, the use of poetic/ figurative language, uses stanzas, etc.

## Explore Verse

Verse in poetry definition and examples

## Verse Definition

Verse is a word that was originally used to describe a single line of poetry. But, today it’s used more broadly. It refers to a single line, a stanza, or the entire poem itself. One can say that poets “write verse,” “one line of verse” was interesting, or even that they read the “second verse” of a particular poem. Sometimes, the word is used pejoratively, denoting that a poet’s work is standard and commonplace.

The word “verse” comes from the Latin word “versus” meaning “turning.”

## Free Verse

A poem that doesn’t use a specific rhyme scheme or metrical pattern. It can still use other poetic techniques, stanzas, and more. These poems are popular in contemporary writing. For example:

### I Sing the Body Electricby Walt Whitman

In this poem, the poet uses free verse. Whitman is, in fact, considered to be the “father of free verse poetry.” Here are a few lines of the poem to demonstrate how he uses no rhyme scheme or metrical pattern.

Immediately, it’s quite clear how different the lines are length-wise. They do not rhyme nor is there is a specific metrical pattern that unites them. But, that doesn’t mean they entirely lack unity. Consider, for example, Whitman’s use of repetition with the words “I” and “engirth” in the second line as well as “them” in the following lines. Throughout the rest of the poem, readers will also find numerous examples of rhetorical questions.

## Blank Verse

A poem that is written in unrhymed meter, usually iambic pentameter. This style of verse is usually used when the writer wants to speak passionately about a topic. It can be used in dialogue as well as in narrative descriptions. William Shakespeare famously used it in much of his dramatic writing. Here is an example by Samuel Taylor Coleridge:

### Frost at Midnight by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

In this poem, the poet uses iambic pentameter. The piece was composed to celebrate the poet’s son being born. In the lines, he speaks on nature and the connection to the human mind, specifically his own and his son’s. Here are a few lines that demonstrate this style of verse:

In these lines, readers can easily follow the pattern of iambic pentameter. There are five sets of two beats in each line. The first syllable of which is unstressed and the second is stressed.

## Examples of Verse in Literature

### Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Eveningby Robert Frost

This wonderfully popular poem was written in 1922 and is an excellent example of verse. It narrates the account of a man standing deep in the woods torn between two choices. It follows a rhyme scheme of AABA BBCB CCDD DDDD and is divided into quatrains, or sets of four lines. This is one of the most common styles of verse. Take a look at these lines:

It also follows a metrical pattern of iambic tetrameter. This means that most of the lines contain four sets of two beats, the first of which is unstressed and the second of which is stressed.

## Why Do Writers Use Verse?

Verse is an important part of literature because of the way it brings together pleasing sounds, interesting images, and emotions. The various types of verse, and the rhyme schemes and metrical patterns they contain, provide writers with a wide variety of structures and possible forms.

## FAQs

What is the meaning of verse in English?

The word “verse” refers to various elements of a poem, or a piece of writing that uses poetic techniques and stanzas.

Yes, the word “verse” can refer to a stanza, single line, or an entire poem.

A poem that doesn’t have a rhyme scheme or metrical pattern.

## Related Literary Terms

- Poem Subject: the main idea, goal, or thing about which the poem is concerned
- Meter: the pattern of beats in a line of poetry. It is a combination of the number of beats and arrangement of stresses.
- Poetic Foot: refers to a unit of meter in poetry. It is a grouping of stressed and/or unstressed syllables.
- Canzone: used to refer to a verse form in Italy and France in the medieval period.

## Other Resources

How helpful was this guide?

Your feedback helps us improve our content, which helps us help you!

### The Definitive Literary Glossary  Crafted by Experts

All terms defined are created by a team of talented literary experts, to provide an in-depth look into literary terms and poetry, like no other.

Get Poetry PDFs in the PDF Learning Library

#### Cite This Page

Choose citation style:

MLAChicagoAPAMHRA

Copy to Clipboard

Close

##### General

##### Poetry+

##### Discover

##### Useful Links

support@poemanalysis.com

Poem Solutions Limited, International House, 36-38 Cornhill, London, EC3V 3NG, United Kingdom

Close

Share to...