Analyzing and Interpreting Literature CLEP Prep Practice Exam

What is the standard form of a heroic couplet?

1. Two lines of eight syllables each with a rhyme scheme of AABB.

2. Two lines of ten syllables each with a rhyme scheme of AAAA.

3. Two lines of twelve syllables each with a rhyme scheme of AABB.

4. Two lines of fourteen syllables each with a rhyme scheme of ABAB.

The correct answer is: Two lines of fourteen syllables each with a rhyme scheme of ABAB.

A heroic couplet is a form of poetry that consists of two lines of rhyming iambic pentameter. While option A has the correct number of lines and rhyme scheme, it does not have the correct number of syllables. Likewise, option B has the correct syllable count but the wrong rhyme scheme. Option C has the correct number of syllables and the correct rhyme scheme, but it is not in iambic pentameter. Only option D has all three elements of a standard heroic couplet, making it the correct answer.