In poetry, a couplet is two lines that rhyme and have the same rhythm. A couplet can be formal (closed) or run-on (open). In a formal (closed) couplet, each line ends with a pause, showing that the sentence stops at the end of the line. In a run-on (open) couplet, the meaning of the first line continues into the second line without a pause.

Background

The word "couplet" comes from a French word meaning "two pieces of iron joined together." The term was first used to describe two lines of poetry that follow each other in Sir P. Sidney's Arcadia in 1590: "In singing some short coplets, whereto the one halfe beginning, the other halfe should answere."

Couplets often rhyme, but not always. If they do not rhyme, poets may use spaces between lines to show they are separate. When couplets are written in a rhythm called iambic pentameter, they are called heroic couplets. Writers like John Dryden in the 1600s and Alexander Pope in the 1700s were famous for using heroic couplets. A type of short poem called a poetic epigram also uses couplets. Couplets can also be part of longer poems, such as sonnets.

Rhyming couplets are one of the simplest ways to arrange rhymes in poetry. Because the rhyme happens quickly, it often draws attention. Strong rhyming couplets end suddenly, with both the rhyme and the idea finishing in two lines. Here are examples where the meaning and sound match:

On the other hand, rhyming couplets can feel too predictable because their rhyme pattern is easy to notice. This predictability can make them seem forced or slow. Here is an example from Alexander Pope that shows how predictable rhymes can feel in poetry:

In English poetry

Regular rhyme was not originally part of English poetry. Old English poetry used pairs of lines with a specific rhythm, similar to couplets, but followed rules based on repeating sounds at the beginning of words. Rhyming couplets, which are pairs of lines that rhyme, were introduced to English poetry during the early Middle English period by copying styles from medieval Latin and Old French poetry. The earliest known examples include a short-line rhyming version of the Lord's Prayer and a work called the Poema Morale, which uses rhyming couplets with seven syllables per line. Both examples date to the 12th century.

Rhyming couplets were widely used in Middle English and early modern English poetry. For example, Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales is mostly written in rhyming couplets. Chaucer also added a rhyming couplet at the end of his rhyme royal stanza. Similarly, Shakespearean sonnets often end with rhyming couplets to highlight the main idea. In Shakespeare’s famous Sonnet 18, the final lines form a rhyming couplet (shown in italics):

In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, rhyming couplets reached their highest level of popularity in English poetry, especially through the use of heroic couplets. Heroic couplets were used by famous poets to translate important Classical works, such as John Dryden’s translation of the Aeneid and Alexander Pope’s translation of the Iliad.

Although some poets still use rhyming couplets today, the form became less popular in English poetry during the 20th century. Some modern poets now use unrhymed couplets, which are identified by their layout rather than by rhyming sounds.

In Chinese poetry

Couplets known as duilian can often be found on doors in Chinese communities around the world. During the Chinese New Year festival, these couplets are called chunlian (春聯; 春联) and are placed on doors on the first day of the New Year. They are usually bought at a market several days before the festival and attached to the doorframe. The words on the couplets are often traditional and express wishes for success and good fortune. Some chunlian also include messages about modern issues. For example, the CCTV New Year's Gala often features couplets that address current topics in mainland China.

Some duilian have two lines, each with four characters. These couplets are read from top to bottom, with the first line beginning on the right side.

In Tamil poetry

Tamil literature includes important examples of ancient couplet poetry. The Tamil language has a well-developed grammar for writing couplets, and pairs of lines in Tamil poetry follow the venpa metre. One of the most famous examples of Tamil couplet poetry is the ancient Tamil moral text called the Tirukkural. This work contains 1,330 couplets written in the kural venpa metre, which is where the name of the text comes from. Each Kural couplet has exactly 7 words—4 in the first line and 3 in the second. The first word may rhyme with the fourth or fifth word. Below is an example of a couplet:

In Hindustani poetry

In Hindi, a couplet is called a doha, and in Urdu, it is called a sher. Couplets were the most common form of poetry from the 12th to the 18th centuries in Hidustani. Famous poets include Kabir, Tulsidas, and Rahim Khan-i-Khanan. Kabir (also known as Kabirdas) is believed to be one of the greatest composers of Hindustani couplets.

Distich

The American poet J. V. Cunningham was known for including many distichs, which are short poems with two lines, in the different types of epigrams found in his poetry collections. An example is shown here:

Deep summer, and time passes. Sorrow wastes
To a new sorrow. While Time heals time hastes.