Poetic term of the day — April 28, 2008

Sexton

RHOPALIC (roh-PAL-ik): Having each succeeding unit in a poetic structure longer than the preceding one. Applied to a line, it means that each successive word is a syllable longer that its predecessor. Applied to a stanza, each successive line is longer by either a syllable or a metrical foot. Rhopalic verse is also called wedge verse.

at left: Anne Sexton

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