Terza Rima (ABA BCB CDC...)

About

An interlocking pattern where the middle line of each tercet rhymes with the first and third lines of the next.

Explanation

Terza rima chains tercets (three-line stanzas) together through rhyme. In each tercet, the first and third lines rhyme (A-A), while the middle line (B) becomes the rhyme for the next tercet (B-B). This creates an endless chain: ABA BCB CDC DED... Dante invented this scheme for the Divine Comedy, and it drives over 14,000 lines of his epic. The interlocking structure creates forward momentum—each tercet pulls you into the next because the middle rhyme demands resolution. The scheme typically ends with a single line or couplet that rhymes with the previous tercet's middle line, creating closure. In English, terza rima is challenging because of our limited rhyme pool, but poets like Shelley and Frost have used it effectively.

Example

O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn's being, (A)

Thou, from whose unseen presence the leaves dead (B)

Are driven, like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing, (A)

()

Yellow, and black, and pale, and hectic red, (B)

Pestilence-stricken multitudes: O thou, (C)

Who chariotest to their dark wintry bed (B)

— Percy Bysshe Shelley, "Ode to the West Wind"

Famous Poems

• The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
• Ode to the West Wind by Percy Bysshe Shelley
• Acquainted with the Night by Robert Frost
• The Triumph of Life by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Writing Tips

• Plan your rhyme chains in advance. Running out of rhymes mid-poem is catastrophic.
• The B line of each tercet is crucial—it must work as an ending AND set up the next stanza.
• Use the forward momentum of the form for narrative or argumentative poetry.
• Consider slant rhymes to expand your options in English.
• This is a demanding form. Start with a short poem (3-5 tercets) before attempting longer work.
• End with a single line or couplet that resolves the final B rhyme.