Terza Rima and Dizain: Understanding Ten-Line Poetic Forms

When discussing poetry, it's natural to wonder about the various names assigned to poems based on their length. While the most famous poetic forms like sonnets and haikus are well-defined, poems of 10 lines face a bit more ambiguity. In this article, we will explore the terms decastich, dizain, and terza rima to understand the nuances of ten-line poetry.

Decastich

A Decastich is a poem consisting of exactly ten lines. Unlike some other poetic structures, the definition of a decastich is primarily based on its total number of lines rather than any specific rhyme scheme or meter. Each line can vary significantly in length and meter, as long as the total number of lines adds up to ten.

Other Names for a Ten-Line Poem

While decastich is a term you can use, it's less common. Another term that may be used, even less frequently, is decan. However, these terms are often used as general descriptors and don't strictly follow the traditional naming conventions of specific poetic forms.

Dizain: The Ten-Line Rhyming Form

A dizain is another term you might encounter when discussing a ten-line poem. This term is derived from Middle French and is related to the modern word for ten, dix. The suffix -ain historically meant "precisely," so dizain indicates a poem with exactly ten lines. The term is also used in modern contexts to describe a rhyme scheme of ababbccdcd, though it is not strictly necessary to conform to this pattern in modern usage.

The word dizain has its roots in Middle French. It comes from the modern French word for ten, dix, combined with the suffix -ain, which historically meant "precisely." The term is used to describe a ten-line poem, no matter its subject matter or meter, as long as it consists of exactly ten lines. For instance, French poet Maurice Scève wrote a collection of 449 dizains in his book De lie objet de plus haulte vertu, which is widely regarded as his masterpiece.

Terza Rima: The Art of Versification

Terza Rima is another poetic form that can span more than ten lines but is often used as a component of ten-line poems. It is a type of poetry consisting of three-line stanzas (tercets), each rhyming a-b-a, b-c-b, c-d-c, etc.. While a full terza rima poem typically has more than ten lines, a ten-line poem in terza rima would consist of one quatrain and a single tercet.

Stanza Naming Conventions

For reference, here is a breakdown of common terms for poems based on their length:

1-line stanza Monostich 2-line stanza Couplet 3-line stanza Tercet 4-line stanza Quatrain 5-line stanza Quintain or Quintet 6-line stanza Sestet 7-line stanza Septet 8-line stanza Octet 9-line stanza Nonet 10-line stanza Dizain 11-line stanza Passail

Understanding these terms can help poets and readers alike when discussing and writing ten-line poems. Whether it's a decastich, dizain, or terza rima, each form brings its own unique challenges and opportunities for artistic expression.

Explore the rich history and versatility of ten-line poetry by experimenting with different forms and structures. Whether you're writing for pleasure or professional publication, a ten-line poem can be a powerful tool in your poetic arsenal.