Heroic couplet
A heroic couplet is a pair of rhymed lines of iambic pentameter, usually closed off so the pair forms a complete thought.
Pope packs a whole warning into one heroic couplet.
A little learning is a dangerous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:Alexander Pope, "An Essay on Criticism", 1711
What it is
The heroic couplet is two end-stopped lines in iambic pentameter, rhymed AA. Each pair is a unit, which makes the form good for sharp sayings and quick wit. A poem can chain them for hundreds of lines.
Why it matters to a writer or editor
The heroic couplet teaches compression. A writer who can make a point fit in two rhymed lines learns to cut. The danger is monotony, since the pair always closes with a click.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called heroic?
It was used for heroic and epic subjects in English poetry, and Dryden and Pope made it the standard form for argument and satire.