A stanza is a major subdivision in a poem, equivalent to a paragraph in prose. Stanzas are named for their length:
2 lines = couplet
3 lines = tercet
4 lines = quatrain
5 lines = quintet
6 lines = sestet
7 lines = septet
8 lines = octave
Advanced Note: The above terms (couplet, tercet, etc.) can also refer to groups of lines designated by poetic form even if there are no stanza divisions. For example, Elizabethan sonnets consist of 3 quatrains and a couplet. The rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG indicates these divisions.
Rhyme is the repetition of identical concluding syllables in different words, most often at the ends of lines. Rhyme indicates a connection between the words or lines that rhyme.
A line break is when a new line begins. Line breaks make lines either end-stopped or enjambed.
An end-stopped line has punctuation at the end to bring the idea to a logical pause or close.
An enjambed line has no end punctuation; the sentence continues without pause in the next line.
A shift in a poem is a turning point, often signaling the start of the conclusion. Here are some things to look for to identify shifts. Notably, you must ALSO look for a shift in MEANING along with any of the following elements.
In some poetic forms, such as sonnets, there is a consistent place where shifts usually occur.
When found at the beginning of a line or stanza, transition words such as "But," "Yet," "And," and "So" could signal a shift.
Shifts often occur between stanzas.
Since rhyme helps group lines by meaning, it can help indicate where the poem shifts to a new idea.
Shifts often occur between sentences. In addition, unusual punctuation such as a dash can sometimes signal a shift.
Look for changes in the speaker's attitude or in the tone of the language.
Caesura: A pause within a line of poetry which may or may not affect the metrical count, often indicated by punctuation or irregular spacing
Canto: A subdivision of an epic poem. Each of the three books of Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy" is divided into cantos. For example, in each of the cantos of "The Inferno," Dante meets the souls of people who were once alive and who have been condemned to punishment for sin.
Refrain: repeated word or series of words in response or counterpoint to the main verse, as in a ballad.
Volta: The "turning" point of a Petrarchan sonnet, usually occurring between the octave and the sestet.
Eye rhyme: Words that seem to rhyme because they are spelled identically but pronounced differently. Example: bear/fear, dough/cough/through/bough
Slant rhyme: A near rhyme in which the concluding consonant sounds are identical but not the vowels. Example: sun/noon, should/food, slim/ham.
Rhyme scheme: The pattern of rhyme, usually indicated by assigning a letter of the alphabet to each rhyme at the end of a line of poetry.