Here's a breakdown:
* Lines: A stanza consists of multiple lines of poetry.
* Unit: It creates a distinct section or part of the poem.
* Pattern: Stanzas often have a recurring pattern of rhyme (like AABB or ABAB) and meter (like iambic pentameter).
* Structure: They can vary in length, with common types like couplets (two lines), tercets (three lines), quatrains (four lines), and sestets (six lines).
Example:
* * *
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Sugar is sweet,
And so are you.
* * *
This is a quatrain (four lines) with an AABB rhyme scheme. The stanza forms a complete thought, setting it apart from the rest of the poem.