In fact, stanza literally means 'room' in Italian. Traditionally, different kinds of stanzas are defined by their meter, the pattern of strong and weak syllables in each line, and rhyme scheme, the order in which rhymes occur. read more
Of course, free verse, poetry that doesn't use rhyme or meter, can also use stanzas to create pauses and organize the poem on the page. Five common stanzas are couplets (two lines), tercets (three lines), quatrains (four lines), sestets (six lines), and octaves (eight lines). read more
Stanzas in poetry are similar to paragraphs in prose. Both stanzas and paragraphs include connected thoughts, and are set off by a space. The number of lines varies in different kinds of stanzas, but it is uncommon for a stanza to have more than twelve lines. read more
Stanzas can have regular rhyme and metrical schemes, though stanzas are not strictly required to have either. Even though the term "stanza" is taken from Italian, in the Italian language the word "strofa" is more commonly used. read more