What is an Ottava Rima poem?

An Ottava Rima is an Italian poem made up of eight lines that rhyme. Each line consists of eleven syllables.

The structure of an Ottava Rima poem

An Ottava Rima poem is made up of an octave with the rhyme pattern

ab
ab
ab
cc

An example of an Ottava Rima poem

The Hunt

Quickly did the tiger begin his fast run
Over hilly ground you see him fly and leap
The passive prey laying grazing in the sun
Suddenly its life that it wanted to keep
Tiger pounces, quickly getting the job done
The prey collapsing in a really big heap
Tiger sleeps as night takes over from the day
Will we ever see the hunter become prey?

Why don't you try writing an Ottava Rima poem and enter it into one of our poetry competitions.

For information on poetry types other than an Ottava Rima poem visit our poetry glossary – poetry types.