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Literature vocabulary · Poetry

Heroic couplet

Meaning in literature, with examples

nounAdvanced term

In literature, heroic couplet means: A pair of rhyming lines in iambic pentameter, often used in formal English poetry for wit, argument, or elevated statement.

In Turkish: kahramanlık beyiti

How it is used

Used mainly in discussions of English poetry, especially Dryden and Pope. It often describes a closed, polished two-line unit with strong rhyme and balanced syntax.

Example sentences

  1. In the seminar, the lecturer showed how each heroic couplet closes a thought before the next argument begins.

    Here the term refers to a self-contained two-line poetic unit whose rhyme and structure create a clear pause in the poem’s reasoning.

  2. While editing the anthology notes, Mira added that the poem switches from blank verse to heroic couplets near the final satire.

    In this example, the term identifies a specific verse form, contrasting it with blank verse to mark a change in tone and formal control.

Common collocations

  • write in heroic couplets
  • a heroic couplet form
  • closed heroic couplets
  • poetryLiterary writing arranged in lines that uses rhythm, sound, imagery and often rhyme to express feelings and ideas in a concentrated way.
  • poemA single piece of writing in lines, often with a regular rhythm or rhyme, that expresses an experience, feeling or idea through carefully chosen language.

More terms: Poetry

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