Introduction

In poetry an octave can be any poetry stanza consisting of eight lines, and generically speaking, it can be any meter, rhymed, or un-rhymed, and any line length.
Most people consider octave poetry forms to be solely associated with the sonnet form, when nothing could be further from the truth. It is arguable which came first the octave or the sonnet. What is known is that sonnets and poems using the octave form appeared in Italy around the same time, and although there are an extremely large number of sonnets around, there are also a large number of poems that have used an octave stanza of one kind or another.
Canzonetta Each stanza, a, b, a, b, c, d, c, D.
or, Prime a, b, a, b, c, b, c, B.
last line repeats any meter		 More Detailed Information
and Form Examples
Cavatina 3 x Alternating lines 10 syllables no rhyme with 4 syllables rhyming or repeat
then 2 x 10 syllable lines rhyming 		More Detailed Information
and Form Examples
Common Octave a. b. c. b. a. b. c. b.
a. c. Iambic Tetrameter.
b, Iambic Trimeter		 More Detailed Information
and Form Examples
Hymnal Octave a. b. c. b. a. b. c. b.
a. Iambic Tetrameter.
b, Iambic Trimeter		 More Detailed Information
and Form Examples
Huitain a. b. a. b. b. c. b. c., or
a. b. a. b. a. c. a. c.
eight or ten syllable form		 More Detailed Information
and Form Examples
Italian Octave a. b. b. a. a. b. b. a.

no set form, later Iambic.		 More Detailed Information
and Form Examples
Sicilian Octave a. b. a. b. a. b. a. b.

no set form, later Iambic.		 More Detailed Information
and Form Examples
Ottava Rima a. b. a. b. a. b. c. c.

no set form, later Iambic.		 More Detailed Information
and Form Examples
Strambotto Toscano a. b. a. b. a. b. c. c.

hendecasyllable lines (11 syllables)		 More Detailed Information
and Form Examples
Strambotto Siciliano a. b. a. b. a. b. a. b.

hendecasyllable lines (11 syllables)		 More Detailed Information
and Form Examples
Strambotto Romagnuolo a. b. a. b. c. c. d. d.

hendecasyllable lines (11 syllables)		 More Detailed Information
and Form Examples



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