Ottava Rima is described as:

Ottava Rima is described as:

• A. A six-line stanza with a closing couplet
• B. An eight-line stanza of poetry with the rhyme scheme abababcc
• C. A nine-line stanza with a final alexandrine
• D. A four-line stanza used in ballads

Answer: (B)

Ottava rima is defined by an eight-line stanza, usually in iambic pentameter in English, with a distinctive ABABABCC rhyme scheme. The first six lines alternate rhymes (A, B, A, B, A, B), and the final two lines form a rhyming couplet (C, C). This structure gives a steady, rolling rhythm that supports longer, narrative or epic poetry, which is why it has been a popular choice for heroic verse. The description that matches eight lines with the abababcc pattern captures this form precisely. Other descriptions refer to different lengths or patterns—six lines with a closing couplet, nine lines with an alexandrine, or a four-line stanza—so they don’t fit ottava rima.

Ottava rima is defined by an eight-line stanza, usually in iambic pentameter in English, with a distinctive ABABABCC rhyme scheme. The first six lines alternate rhymes (A, B, A, B, A, B), and the final two lines form a rhyming couplet (C, C). This structure gives a steady, rolling rhythm that supports longer, narrative or epic poetry, which is why it has been a popular choice for heroic verse. The description that matches eight lines with the abababcc pattern captures this form precisely. Other descriptions refer to different lengths or patterns—six lines with a closing couplet, nine lines with an alexandrine, or a four-line stanza—so they don’t fit ottava rima.