Ottava rima Poetry

Ottava rima is a form of verse that originated in Italy and is characterized by its specific rhyme scheme and meter. These poems consist of eight-line stanzas, with the rhyme scheme typically being ABABABCC.

The meter is usually iambic pentameter, providing a regular and musical rhythm. Ottava rima poems often tell a narrative story, and the form has been used in epic poems, romances, and satirical works. The concise and structured nature of ottava rima makes it suitable for expressing complex themes and tales with clarity and elegance.

These poems can be humorous, dramatic, or philosophical, allowing poets to explore a wide range of emotions and ideas within a disciplined poetic structure.

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Nineteen Hundred and Nineteen

by William Butler Yeats

‘Nineteen hundred and Nineteen’ by W.B. Yeats is a complex poem that deals with his complex emotions as he looks at a war that crushed Ireland.

In the first section, the poem uses Ottava rima, with stanzas of eight lines and a rhyme scheme of ABABABCC. This structured form adds a sense of control and rhythm, contrasting with the chaotic world Yeats describes. It allows each thought to feel deliberate and grounded, creating a strong foundation as Yeats begins to reflect on violence, loss, and the sorrow of watching beauty disappear.

We too had many pretty toys when young:

A law indifferent to blame or praise,

To bribe or threat; habits that made old wrong

Melt down, as it were wax in the sun's rays;

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To Ireland in the Coming Times

by William Butler Yeats

‘To Ireland in the Coming Times’ by William Butler Yeats is dedicated to the poet’s impact on Ireland’s political, social, and cultural landscape. It contains the poet’s beliefs about the nature of his verse.

Know, that I would accounted be

True brother of a company

That sang, to sweeten Ireland's wrong,

Ballad and story, rann and song;

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Ottava rima Poetry

Nineteen Hundred and Nineteen

by William Butler Yeats

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