VERSET

a short verse, especially from a sacred book, such as those found in the Song of Solomon and the Psalms, or a stanza form modeled on such biblical verse. The stanza form is characterized by long lines and powerful, surging rhythms and usually expresses fervent religious or patriotic sentiments. The verset is a flexible form approximating free verse and the prose poem and is open to a wide range of emotional expression. Poetic devices such as repetition, assonance, alliteration, and figures of speech contribute to the overall vigour of the lines. The verset appears mainly in the literature of European Christian countries where it was first used in medieval religious and mystical texts. Friedrich Hlderlin, Charles Pguy, and Paul Claudel have all written poems in this form.