A Sapphic stanza is a four-line poetic form named for Sappho. In classical verse, its first three lines follow a set pattern built around a trochaic rhythm with a central dactyl, and the fourth line is shorter, ending the stanza with a quick, closing beat. English poets usually imitate the form with three longer lines followed by a brief fourth line called the Adonic.
The form is especially associated with measured, stately movement and a strong final turn. Because the classical pattern depends on quantity rather than stress, English versions are adaptations rather than exact copies.
Example
Softly the evening gathers over the water,
Silver and steady, touching the reeds and rooftops;
Far on the hill, the last bell drifts into twilight,
Night now arrives.