couplet

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "couplet" is correct and can be used in written English.
A couplet is a pair of rhyming lines in a poem, or two consecutive lines of a poem that often have the same meter. For example: "The day is done and soon night falls It's time for one more story to be told".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The strict and remorseless verse (the Alexandrine couplet with its 12/12 beat) terrifies actors and bores audiences.

The Economist

The actors have found in each couplet such truth and depth (even violence) that every line seems newly minted.

The Economist

He quotes a Persian couplet:"I am ashamed when I see my friend; My companions look at me; I look the other way".Whether he got anywhere with Baburi is not clear.But poetry and parties were not enough.

The Economist

In the words of a famous Chisti couplet: "Why must you enter the doors of emirs and sultans?

The Economist

But the quest for cash ends up adding corruption to the CIA's original sin of duplicity and the incineration sets off a cycle of revenge that consumes everyone it touches or, as John Milton put it in a couplet that forms the epigram to this gripping novel, "revenge, at first thought sweet/Bitter ere long back on itself recoils".

The Economist

9 16: Ah, the classic inversion couplet: People around the world "more impressed by the power of the example than the example of our power".

The Economist

When members of a big-stakes biaohui defaulted in May, the association leader was unable to top up the pool, and the whole edifice collapsed.In one of the looted villas, a couplet scrawled on a wall reads: "If you have a clear conscience, you will have nothing to fear when there is a knock on your door at midnight".

The Economist

This truly terrible dance tune featured a video of a man dressed like Uncle Sam rapping couplet gems, such as, "We don't need no bling, because we got the real thing".

The Economist

This couplet by John Clare, a 19th-century English poet, runs through the agitated mind of Erik Davidsen, the lonely, introspective narrator of "The Sorrows of an American", just before he takes a pill and enters a fitful sleep.

The Economist

In 1938, after Munich, the Lord Chamberlain, acting on the instructions of the Foreign Office, demanded the deletion of an uninspired couplet in a Cambridge Christmas pantomime judged capable of offending Herr Hitler.Walking in London in January 1939, he saw Sir Oswald Mosley's black-shirted fascists beating up some men of Jewish appearance.

The Economist

"Borat" (pictured above) made Kazakhstan sound awful, claiming among other things that its national anthem included the couplet "Kazakhstan's prostitutes cleanest in the region/ Except of course for Turkmenistan's".

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing poetry, use "couplet" to specifically refer to two lines that rhyme and share the same meter, differentiating it from other stanza forms.

Common error

Avoid using "couplet" to describe any two lines in a poem; ensure they rhyme to fit the definition.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "couplet" is as a noun, referring to a pair of lines in verse, typically rhyming and sharing the same meter. Ludwig AI confirms this with examples showing its use in describing poetic forms across various sources.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Encyclopedias

33%

News & Media

21%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

14%

Wiki

6%

Reference

6%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The term "couplet" is a noun primarily used to describe a pair of lines in poetry, typically rhyming and sharing the same meter. As Ludwig AI confirms, its primary function is to identify a specific poetic structure, with a communicative purpose of categorizing verse forms. Predominantly used in formal and scientific contexts, particularly in literary analysis, "couplet" is frequently found in encyclopedias, news media, and scientific publications. While alternatives like "rhyming pair" or "two-line stanza" exist, "couplet" remains the most precise term for this structure, with a consistent usage across authoritative sources.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

two rhyming lines

Explicitly describes the rhyming nature of the two lines.

rhyming pair

Focuses specifically on the rhyming aspect of the two lines.

pair of verses

Emphasizes the verse structure of the two lines.

two-line stanza

Highlights the stanzaic form consisting of two lines.

distich

A more formal and literary term for a couplet.

duo of lines

Emphasizes the 'duo' aspect or partnership of the pair of lines.

poetic duo

Emphasizes that a 'couplet' is a form of a pair that work in harmony and unity in the context of poetry.

paired lines

Highlights the connection between two lines.

dyadic verse

Focuses on the dyadic nature of verse that works in pairs

rhyme scheme AA

Describes the rhyming pattern typically associated with a couplet.

FAQs

How is a "couplet" used in poetry?

A "couplet" is a pair of lines in poetry that usually rhyme and have the same meter, often used to express a complete thought or idea.

What distinguishes a "couplet" from other stanza forms?

Unlike tercets or quatrains, a "couplet" consists of only two lines. It can be identified as "rhyming pair", highlighting the end rhyme that binds the lines.

Can "couplet" also refer to something other than poetry?

While primarily used in poetry, "couplet" can also refer to a pair of one-way streets carrying opposing traffic. However, this usage is less common.

What are some common types of "couplet" in poetry?

Common types include the heroic "heroic couplet", which is in iambic pentameter, and the closed couplet, which expresses a complete thought within the two lines.