Heroic couplets are rhyming lines of five iambic feet (refer to Blank verse for details of iambic pentamater).  The heroic has often been used for comic purposes from the time of Chaucer, who originated it, and is referred to as mock-heroic in such circumstances.  

 

In Pope’s The Rape of the Lock, the mock-heroic couplets are used for ironic effect:

‘What dire offence from amorous causes springs,

What mighty contests arise from trivial things’

See other literary terms

 

 

—oOo—

You are free:

• to Share — to copy, distribute and transmit the work
• to Remix — to adapt the work

Under the following conditions:

• Attribution — You must attribute the work in the manner specified, as above, by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).
• Noncommercial — You may not use this work for commercial purposes.

With the understanding that:

• Waiver — Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder.
• Public Domain — Where the work or any of its elements is in the public domain under applicable law, that status is in no way affected by the license.
• Other Rights — In no way are any of the following rights affected by the license:
  • Your fair dealing or fair use rights, or other applicable copyright exceptions and limitations;
  • The author’s moral rights;
  • Rights other persons may have either in the work itself or in how the work is used, such as publicity or privacy rights.
• Notice — For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work. The best way to do this is with a link to this web page.