Couplet

Couplet, in the realm of poetry, is a pair of consecutive lines that often share a rhyme and have a distinct, self-contained meaning. It is a fundamental poetic form, with various types and applications, and its definition can be encapsulated as follows: "A couplet is a two-line stanza in poetry, typically linked by rhyme and often serving as a complete thought or unit within a larger poem" (The Poetry Foundation). 

Couplets are frequently used in poetry to convey meaning, create rhythm, and enhance the aesthetic quality of the verses.

Examples:

William Shakespeare's Sonnet 18:

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? 

Thou art more lovely and more temperate"

Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales":

"Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote 

The droghte of Marche hath perced to the roote"

Sources:

The Poetry Foundation. "Couplet." Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/couplet.

By Nemrava Adam