Having trouble recognizing couplets

[Hallie]

Hi,

I'm trying to recognize couplets in order to pick them out in other poems, and am having a hard time. The definition is that the two lines represent a complete thought.

I seem to be finding a lot of poems that meet this description. Are couplets very common, or is there further criteria I should be looking for?

Thanks

[Lene Mahler Jaqua]

A couplet is the smallest possible poetic stanza. It consists of a pair of lines of poetry that
are usually rhymed. Couplets are any two lines working as a unit, whether they comprise a
single stanza or are part of a larger stanza. Together, they express a complete thought.
Most couplets rhyme (AA), but they do not have to.

In general you can classify a "closed couplet" as containing a complete thought, always two consequetive lines, usually rhyming but not always. (CLosed thought meaning a complete sentence which does not go on in the following lines)

An OPEN couplet is a pair of rhyming lines which does not contain a complete thought... the lines rhyme and are right next to each other, but the sentence is not completed with the two lines.

Lene

[Hallie]

I think I was thinking couplets were a specific type of poem. Are they more a part of most poems?

[Lene Mahler Jaqua]

Well,

There is a stanza form called couplets, just one stanza at a time. Alexander Pope is famous for his heroic couplets.
it.uwp.edu/couplets/heroic.extracts.html

And as a joke:

Alexander Pope
Stepped on the soap

And bonked his head
Never mind what he said.

F.ex.

But more frequently, couplets are found within larger poetry stanza forms, such as a Shakesperean sonnet, which always ends in a couplet (rhyming, an d usually in closed form, that is, a complete thought).

Frequently simple children's rhymes are done in couplets, rhyming pairs o f lines at a time.... think of

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see
... etc.

Lene