stanza
n.a group of lines that form one section of a poem. It is like a paragraph, but for poetry.
n.a group of lines forming the basic recurring metrical unit in a poem; a verse. Often separated from other sections by a blank line.
“The first stanza of the poem describes a dark forest.”
“The poet uses a shorter final stanza to emphasize the sudden change in the story's mood.”
“In this specific sonnet, the transition between the second and third stanza marks a shift from describing the problem to offering a potential solution.”
Commonly used in literary analysis; synonymous with 'verse' in casual conversation.
From Italian stanza, from Vulgar Latin stantia (“standing, stopping-place”), from Latin stāns, stantis, from stō, stāre, from Proto-Italic staēō, from Proto-Indo-European sth₂éh₁yeti, stative verb from steh₂- (whence English stand). Doublet of stance.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.