Verse is writing arranged in lines with rhythm and often rhyme, the building blocks of poetry and songs. In poems and songs, a verse is a group of lines that belong together, often separated from other groups by a blank line or a pause. In songs, verses are the parts that tell the story or develop ideas, contrasting with the chorus that repeats.

A single line of poetry is also sometimes called a verse. When Shakespeare wrote “Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?” he created one of the most famous lines in English literature. Poets craft verses carefully, choosing words for their meaning, sound, and rhythm together.

The word appears in everyday phrases too. When you know something by heart, you might say you know it “chapter and verse,” meaning you know it completely and exactly. This phrase comes from how the Bible is organized into chapters and numbered verses, making it easy to find specific passages.

Verse can describe the form itself: blank verse means unrhymed poetry with regular rhythm, while free verse has no set pattern of rhythm or rhyme. The poet decides how structured or loose the verse will be.