Verse (poetry)

A verse is formally a single metrical line in a poetic composition.[1] However, verse has come to represent any grouping of lines in a poetic composition, with groupings traditionally having been referred to as stanzas.[2]

Verse in the uncountable (mass noun) sense refers to poetry in contrast to prose.[3] Where the common unit of verse is based on meter or rhyme, the common unit of prose is purely grammatical, such as a sentence or paragraph.[4]

Verse in the second sense is also used pejoratively in contrast to poetry to suggest work that is too pedestrian or too incompetent to be classed as poetry.

  1. ^ Rys, John Van; Meyer, Verne; Sebranek, Patrick (2011-01-01). The Research Writer, Spiral bound Version. Cengage Learning. p. 350. ISBN 978-1-133-16882-9.
  2. ^ "Definition of verse | Dictionary.com". dictionary.com. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  3. ^ Wiktionary, "verse" (accessed 20 November 2020).
  4. ^ "Verse", "Types-Of-Poetry", Screen 1

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