It’s been a minute since I’ve given you a writing guide, so we’re going to learn about one of my new favorite forms: The Ottava Rima.

As the name may suggest, the ottava rima is an Italian form that originated around the late 13th/early 14th centuries. It was mainly used by Tuscan poets as a form for religious verses or drama, and the troubadours didn’t take long to turn it into a song form.

It spread to Spain and Portugal in the 16th century before arriving in England by the 17th. By then, it consisted of eight lines and ten syllables, which helped adapt the form to the English language.

English poets used the ottava rima as heroic poetry in the 17th and 18th centuries, but it didn’t really take off until Lord Byron. His poems Beppo (1818) and Don Juan (1819–24) combined elements of comedy, seriousness, and mock-heroic irony. Later, Percy Bysshe Shelley the ottava rima for a serious subject in The Witch of Atlas (1824).

Thankfully, the ottava rima is fairly easy to write and only has three strict rules. They are:

• Eight lines (can be combined into “chains” for a longer poem)
• Each line traditionally has 11 syllables, but can be 10
• A strict rhyme scheme of ABABABCC

That means your poem will look something like this:

Line 1 (11 syllables) (A)
Line 2 (11 syllables) (B)
Line 3 (11 syllables) (rhymes with A)
Line 4 (11 syllables) (rhymes with B)
Line 5 (11 syllables) (rhymes with A)
Line 6 (11 syllables) (rhymes with B)
Line 7 (11 syllables) (C)
Line 8 (11 syllables) (rhymes with C)

As long as you follow those rules, you can create an ottava rima!

Here’s an example from my upcoming poetry collection. Enjoy!

Karma’s a B**ch

I’ll no longer participate in your game
That turns every friend into an unknown foe
Nor will I shoulder the weight of misplaced blame
When your kingdom crumbles with a single blow
And disintegrates your greedy quest for fame
As you lay dying on your satin pillow
You knew your actions had these consequences
Now, we shall see what your karma dispenses

There you have it! It may feel unfinished to some of you, but you can always write another ottava rima to round it out. Heck, write a whole book of them! There’s no limit to the amount of ottava rima poems that you can string together, nor is there a limit on subject matter. Just follow the rules, and you’ll be ok!

So, what do you think? Have you ever written an Ottava Rima? Let me know in the comments!