Tercet

A Tercet is a group of three lines of verse that form a unit. This unit is usually characterized by a unified rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme is often AAB, ABA, or ABC, though other patterns exist. Tercets can appear as standalone stanzas or as part of a longer poem, such as in a terza rima, which consists of a sequence of tercets linked by a chain rhyme (ABA BCB CDC, etc.).

The use of tercets allows poets to create rhythmic and tonal variations. The succinctness of a Tercet can also be used to highlight a key thought, image, or idea within a poem.

The emphasis can vary, giving more or less intensity. .

Tercet meaning with examples

• The sun dips low, a fiery kiss, Upon the waves, a golden bliss. The day descends in quiet peace. This Tercet captures a brief moment of beauty, using a rhyming AAB structure to create a flow. The gentle words work together to generate a sense of quiet serenity as the day comes to an end.
• My heart, a captive, yearns to be free, Though chains of circumstance bind it to me. I long to feel the wind, the sea. Here, the Tercet uses an AAB structure to convey a strong emotion, a feeling of longing. The rhythm emphasizes the speaker's desire, making it a powerful expression of the speaker's desires.
• The hawk ascends, a circling flight, Above the fields, a hunter's might, Observing all, with pure delight. This poem's Tercet structure, here with an ABA rhyme scheme, gives a sense of balance. The use of strong imagery, with this structure, paints a vivid picture of a hawk's aerial behavior and the hunter's perspective.
• Shadows fall, and silence deep, The secrets that the darkness keep. Where even dreams their vigil sleep. This Tercet, with an ABC rhyme scheme, does not require a structured rhyme to convey a specific story. The poet gives the structure a degree of freedom, focusing more on a narrative, rather than a strict flow.