A Guide to Writing Terza Rima Poetry

The terza rima was originated by the Italian poet Dante (1265-1321) in the Middle Ages, followed in use by Milton, Shelley and Byron. Many modern poets have also thrived with the form, such as Robert Frost and T.S. Eliot.

A terza rima is a series of triplets (3-line stanzas) with an interlocking rhyming scheme, ending in a single line or couplet. There is no limit to the number of triplets, and usually iambic ("dah-DUM") pentameter (see "Poetic Meter") is employed, though other classic meters are sometimes used. The rhyming pattern is connects each stanza to the following one:

a-b-a ... b-c-b ... c-d-c ... d-e-d ... e-e

Remember that in a rhyming pattern, lines ending in a sound designated by "a" only rhyme with other "a" lines, "b" lines only with other "b" lines, and so on.

Example:

The Keeper of the Grounds

Just yesterday he made giraffes,
a dragonfly and circus clowns;
he loves the way each tourist laughs.

The clever keeper of the grounds
creates his topiary art;
a lifetime here, he still astounds.

Today his cannons will impart
reminders of the battles past,
of conquests made with grit and heart.

His garden actors will be cast
in parts portrayed in pinks and greens
by shrubs and flora holding fast.

One walks along organic scenes-
imagination intervenes.