Tercet - GCSE English Language Definition

Tercet is a term used in GCSE English Literature to describe a group of three lines of poetry that form a unit or stanza. These three lines often rhyme, but not always. A poem made up of several tercets is usually called terza rima or follows another structured form, like a villanelle.

Writers use tercets to give a poem rhythm, structure, or emphasis. The short, three-line shape can make ideas stand out more clearly and can also help build a poem’s mood or pace.

Example of tercet in a GCSE text

The poem 'Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night' by Dylan Thomas is made up of five tercets followed by a final four-line stanza. Each tercet includes a repeated line, helping to show the speaker’s growing emotion and urgent message about resisting death.