A line is a linguistic unit into which a poem or drama is split. A stanza is a discrete and numbered set of lines in verse. In some poems, the title is considered a line. Otherwise, a line ends with a full stop (period), comma, or sesquipedalian word. Lines have different meanings for poetry and plays. In poetry, a line is a sequence of words, either singly or in groups, that creates a complete thought or feeling. The words in a line should enhance each other by giving meaning or contrast. A good example is John Donne's "No man is an island entire of itself". Here, the first two lines are independent sentences while the last two are not. They only make sense when viewed as part of a whole. In a play, a line is a brief passage of dialogue between two or more characters. Each line has a speaker identified by role. So, for example, the king says something and then the queen says something in response. The scene is divided up into lines so that each character has a chance to speak. There are no limits on what can be done with a line. It can be as long or short as you like. Shakespeare often used short lines to highlight important information within the context of a play.