Post by DavidMc on Aug 25, 2006 5:06:02 GMT -6
Acrostic Poems
An acrostic poem is a verse in which
sets of letters (like the beginning letters) form a word.
T owering trees
R eign the forest.
E vergreens are huge.
E veryday they keep us alive.
Echo Verse
A poem in which the last syllable or two of a main line is repeated, perhaps with different spelling or meaning, as if an echo; usually this echo will be indented to a point under or beyond the syllable it mimics and will function as an independent line of one or two syllables.
Sometimes the word echo will precede the repetition, like to identify the speaker in a play. Echo Verse can often serve an ironic purpose, the meaning of the echo conflicting with what the original sound means example ‘know’ echoed by ‘no’. On the other hand an echo poem can be used simply as another kind of rhyme.
Heaven
Oh who will show me those delights on high!
Echo I
Thou Echo, thou art mortal, all men know.
Echo No
Wert thou not born among the trees and leaves?
Echo Leaves
And are there any leaves, that still abide?
Echo Bide
What leaves are they? Impart the matter wholly.
Echo Holy
Are holy leaves the Echo then of blisse?
Echo Yes
Then tell me, what is that supreme delight?
Echo Light
Light to the minde: what shall the will enjoy?
Echo Joy
But are there cares and businesse with the pleasure?
Echo Leisure
Light, joy and leisure; but shall they persever?
Echo Ever
Tanka
A Tanka is a Japanese verse form consisting of five lines with a syllable count of ( 5, 7, 5, 7, 7 ) or 31 syllables in all.
Imagery is important when constructing a tanka, but it doesn’t need to be as obscure as a haiku
Petrarchan Sonnet
The Petrarchan sonnet, also known as the Italian sonnet, originated in Italy in the 13th Century and was associated with the Italian poet Petrarch.
It is a sonnet in its classic form and tends to split into two sections, known as octave (eight line stanza) and sestet (six line stanza). The octave has two quatrains, rhyming a-b-b-a, a-b-b-a; the first quatrain presents the theme, the second develops it. The sestet is built on two or three different rhymes, arranged either c-d-e-c-d-e or c-d-c-d-c-d or c-d-e-d-c-e; the first three lines reflect on the theme and the last three lines bring the whole poem to a close.
a
b
b
a
a
b
b
a
c
d
e
c
d
e
OR a
b
b
a
a
b
b
a
c
d
c
d
c
d
OR a
b
b
a
a
b
b
a
c
d
e
d
c
e
On His Being Arrived to the Age of Twenty-three
How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth, (a)
Stolen on his wing my three and twentieth year! (b)
My hasting days fly on with full career, (b)
But my late spring no bud or blossom shew'th. (a)
Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth, (a)
That I to manhood am arrived so near, (b)
And inward ripeness doth much less appear, (b)
That some more timely-happy spirits indu'th. (a)
Yet be it less or more, or soon or slow, (c)
It shall be still in strictest measure even (d)
To that same lot, however mean or high, (e)
Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heaven. (d)
All is, if I have grace to use it so, (c)
As ever in my great Task-master's eye. (e)
John Milton
Pantoum
Renowned as one of the classic forms of poetry. Despite its somewhat strict structure, the pantoum is still a versatile poetic form. Written in four line stanzas called quatrains, pantoums can be written in free verse, metered or rhyme. Originally a Malayan form, the structure of a pantoum is that it is written in couplets, repeating lines in an interlocking pattern. Although due to this nature there is no length restriction to a pantoum, they are generally kept within a few verses, as any longer than this would put stress on the poet’s ingenuity and the readers' patience. It is more vital to have a strong opening line in a pantoum than with any other poetic form, as without this, the rest of the poem loses its meaning and sense. Below shows the pantoum's repeating format, and an example of how these work in together. In the example, the letters A, B, C etc refer to whole repeated lines, not just rhyming lines.
a First Line
b Second Line
c Third Line
d Fourth Line
b Second Line
e Fifth Line
d Fourth Line
f Sixth Line
e Fifth Line
c Third Line
f Sixth Line
a First Line As she dances on the moonlit glen
Taking in the freshness of the air
She is alone, but not lonely
She is surrounded by spirits
Taking in the freshness of the air
Searching again for her silent companions
She is surrounded by spirits
They watch the contentment she holds
Searching again for her silent companions
She is alone, but not lonely
They watch the contentment she holds
As she dances on the moonlit glen
Cinquain
Formed by American poet Adelaide Crapsey around 1909-1910, cinquains are a form of English haiku.
Its form is twenty-two syllables over five lines distributed 2,4,6,8,2. The first line will be used to name the subject; line two will describe this subject; the third line will be three action words; line four is a phrase describing the subject, though not in a complete sentence; finally the fifth line will sum up the poem with some impact.
Below is an example of one of Crapsey’s wider known cinquains.
Triad
These be (2)
Three silent things; (4)
The falling snow . . . the hour (6)
Before the dawn . . . the mouth of one (8)
Just dead. (2)
Triolet
(pronounced tree-o-lay) originated in France in the 13th Century and is usually short and witty. However, some of the first English triolets were essentially spiritual.
The Triolet consists of eight lines and two rhymes. The 4th and 7th lines are a repeat of the 1st line. The 8th line is a repeat of the 2nd line:
1 A
2 B
3 a - rhymes with 1st line
4 A - identical to 1st line
5 a - rhymes with 1st line
6 b - rhymes with 2nd line
7 A - identical to 1st line
8 B - identical to 2nd line
Birds At Winter
Around the house the flakes fly faster, (A)
And all the berries now are gone (B)
From holly and cotoneaster (a)
Around the house. The flakes fly! – faster (A)
Shutting indoors the crumb-outcaster (a)
We used to see upon the lawn (b)
Around the house. The Flakes fly faster (A)
And all the berries now are gone! (B)
Thomas Hardy A
B
a
A
a
b
A
B
Limerick
Speculated to have been invented by soldiers returning from France to the Irish town of Limerick in the 1700s, the sign of a good limerick is the last line where the punch line or heart of the joke lies.
In its basic form, a limerick is a five-line poem with one couplet and one triplet. The rhyme pattern is AABBA, with lines 1,2 and 5 containing three beats and rhyming. Lines 3 and 4 will have two beats and also rhyme. As mentioned before, limericks are meant to be funny, sometimes bordering on the darker sense of humour.
Below are examples of Edward Lear's (1812-1888) limericks, some of which you may recognise.
There was an old man of Tobago
Who lived of rice, gruel and sago
Till, much to his bliss,
His physician said this -
To a leg, sir, of mutton you may go.
There was a Young Lady in White
Who looked out at the depths of the Night;
But the birds of the air
Filled her heart with despair,
And oppressed that Young Lady in White
There was a Young Lady of Lucca,
Whose lovers completely forsook her;
She ran up a tree
And said, 'Fiddle-de-dee!'
Which embarrassed the people of Lucca.
Ballad
The ballad first began as a song that tells a story to the listener. Circulated as songs, this would then be passed onto generation after generation in its musical form. There was a clearly defined growth in the ballad’s popularity in the fifteenth century mainly due to the ability to print them on broadsheets, which would then be sold at fairs and markets.
There are two main forms of ballads: traditional and street. Though there is no chronological evidence to support, it is believed that the traditional form is the earliest of the two versions. Somewhat idiosyncratic , the ballad has more emphasis on its narrative opposed to a complex structure. The progression of this form has shown many changes in its style, whereas originally, the content was heroic, it soon adapted that the characters were comical, and the heroes therein were made a mockery of.
Below is a copy of The Twa Corbies, or as it is more commonly known - The Three Ravens, here the rhyme is clearly marked as well as the emphasis on certain words within the stanza.
The Twa Corbies
As I was walking all alane
I heard twa corbies making a mane
The tane unto the t’other say
‘Where sall we gang and dine today?’
‘-In behint you auld fail d**e,
I wot ther kues a bew-slain knight;
And naebody kens that he lies there,
But his hawk, his hound and his lady fair.
His hound is to the hunting gane,
His hawk to fetch the wild-fowl hame,
His lady ta’en another mate,
So we may make our dinner sweet.
Ye’ll sit on his white hause-bane,
And I’ll pick out his bonnyblue een:
Wi’ ae locko’ his gowden hair
We’ll theek our nest when it grows bare.
mony a one for him makes Mane,
But nen sall ken where he is gane;
o’er his white banes, when they are bare,
The wind shall blaw for evermair.’ C
A
A
B
B
C
C
D
D
E
E
F
F
G
G
H
H
I
I
J
J
In The Twa Corbies there is the distinctive stanza form with each line containing four stresses and a rhyming pattern of aabb. These are not restrictive forms and there are several variations that can be followed
The fourth stress from lines one and three can be dropped.
Internal rhyme can be added to lines one and three so that the second and fourth stresses in the line rhyme.
The form can be changed to a four-line stanza with four stresses in each, known as the long meter,
The form can be altered to a four-line stanza with three stresses in each, known as a short meter.
Sonnet
More sophisticated than your average rhyming poetry, the sonnet is sometimes considered to be the most accessible of classic forms.
In its basic definition, a sonnet is a rhyming poem of fourteen lines with ten syllables per line, generally written in iambic pentameter meaning there is the rhythm ti-tum; ti-tum; ti-tum. Although there are many different varieties, the two most common variations of sonnets are; the English sonnet- popularised by William Shakespeare, and the Italian sonnet- or sometimes referred to as the Petrarchan sonnet due to the first major practitioner Francesco Petrarch.
Below is the example of an English sonnet, written by
Shakespeare.
Sonnet 130
My Mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
There in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak; yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground
Any yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare
A
B
A
B
C
D
C
D
E
F
E
F
G
G
As can be plotted in this example, a sonnet follows a traditional structure:
• A proposition is set out
• The proposition is then developed
• Either a conclusion is reached, or there is a thought-provoking finale
Moving on to the Italian sonnet, the same conventions are followed, but the stanzas follow a different structure. The first stanza is composed of eight lines, and the second of six lines.
Below is an example of an Italian sonnet by William Wordsworth.
The World
The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little we see in nature that is ours:
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
The sea that bared her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gather'd now like sleeping flowers;
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not- Great God! I'd rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn:
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.
A
B
B
A
C
D
D
C
E
F
E
F
E
F
Here the proposition is put forward and developed within the beginning eight lines, and the solution/reconciliation is within the final six lines.
Rondeau
Rondeaux are French lyrical poems, originally developed as a form of medieval courtly music. As song, the form was four stanzas with fully repeating refrains. It was adopted by church musicians as an emotionally rich container, ideal for spiritual worship.
The rondeau developed into a form for expressing devotion to secular objects such as springtime, love and romance and also offered a vehicle for the celebration of melancholy: many rondeaux seem to be about pain and loss; yet turn, by the last stanza, almost jovial. It has been reported that only the English, who adopted the rondeau at the end of the 18th century, truly attempt serious verse with this form.
The standard, literary rondeau is usually found as three stanzas - a quintet, quatrain and sestet - with each of the 15 lines containing eight syllables. The refrain consists of the first four syllables, (or sometimes the first word), of the first stanza; and ends the second and third stanzas. Only two rhymes are used throughout and the rhyming scheme is as follows: aabba aabR aabbaR.
In Flanders Fields by John McCrae is a good example of the standard literary rondeau.
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place, and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead; short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe!
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high!
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
a
a
b
b
a
a
a
b
Refrain
a
a
b
b
a
Refrain
Variations on the Rondeau
The Rondelet
Coming from the French word 'round', the rondelet consists of two rhymes, contained within a single, seven-line stanza. There are a specific number of syllables per line and line one is repeated as lines three and seven.
Line 1
Line 2
Line 3
Line 4
Line 5
Line 6
Line 7 a (four syllables)
b (eight syllables)
repeat line one
a (eight syllables)
b (eight syllables)
b (eight syllables)
repeat line one
The Rondel
The rondel consists of 13 lines, divided into three stanzas, and includes two repeated lines
Stanza One
Stanza Two
Stanza Three abba
ab, line one, line two
abba, line one
The Rondeau Redouble
The rondeau redouble is the French translation of a double rondeau. Consisting of 25 lines, it features a four-line refrain which forms the first quatrain. These four lines are then used successively as the last lines of the following four quatrains. The sixth and final stanza is a quintrain which contains no repetition of previous lines; it does, however, include a 'tail' which is the beginning clause or phrase from line one.
The same two rhymes are used throughout and the rhyming scheme is as follows:
Stanza One
Stanza Two
Stanza Three
Stanza Four
Stanza Five
Stanza Six A1B1A2B2
abbA1
abaB1
babA2
abaB2
abab
tail from line one
The following example, by Frances Stillman, is taken from The Poet's Manual and Rhyming Dictionary.
Death That Took Fair Helen
Oh Death that took fair Helen, you who wait
Down every twisted passageway we wend,
We'll see your unknown visage, soon or late -
The passageway will turn, and reach an end.
And are you enemy, or are you friend?
Along the walls are pictured scenes that state
The beauty that all living might portend.
Oh Death that took fair Helen, you who wait
And we mistake the scenes for real, and prate
Of what we hope, or how our life will trend,
Taking for granted there is something great
Down every twisted passageway we wend.
We do not know what waits around each bend,
And wish our passageways were clear and straight-
But whether they go upward or descend,
We'll see your unknown visage, soon or late.
And sometime when we're gay, inebriate
Of life itself, and hear our bards commend
The upward way, and celebrate man's fate
The passageway will turn, and reach an end.
What gods are there we might propitiate?
How guard the passageway, and how defend
The right to keep on going? - we who hate
And fear your scythe with every breath we spend,
Oh Death that took fair Helen?
A1
B1
A2
B2
a
b
b
A1
a
b
a
B1
b
a
b
A2
a
b
a
B2
a
b
a
b
R
Kyrielle
The kyrielle is a medieval French form whose name is derived from a part of the church liturgy, the kyrie eleision, which is characterised by frequent repetition, as in a refrain, of the sentence 'Lord, have mercy upon us'. The kyrielle is written in couplets that are often paired in quatrain; this refrain may be composed of as little as a single word or as much as a whole line. As is normal for French poetic forms it is syllabic, usually eight syllables (see the example below). The poem rhymes a-A, a-A, etc, if it is in couplets, or a-a-b-B, c-c-b-B, etc, if in quatrains. The latter may also be rhymed a-b-a-B, c-b-c-B, etc.
A Lenten Hymn
With broken heart and contrite sigh,
A trembling sinner, Lord, I cry:
Thy pard'ning grace is rich and free:
O God, be merciful to me.
I smite upon my troubled breast,
With deep and conscious guilt opprest,
Christ and His cross my only plea:
O God, be merciful to me.
Far off I stand with tearful eyes,
Nor dare uplift them to the skies;
But Thou dost all my anguish see:
O God be merciful to me.
Nor alms, nor deeds that I have done,
Can for a single sin atone;
To Calvary alone I flee:
O God, be merciful to me.
And when, redeemed from sin and hell,
With all the ransomed throng I dwell,
My raptured song shall ever be,
God has been merciful to me.
a
a
b
B Refrain
c
c
b
B Refrain
d
d
b
B Refrain
e
e
b
B Refrain
f
f
b
B Refrain
Thomas Campion, 1567 -1620
The words to many hymns are in this rather simple form, though it is by no means confined to religious poetry. The kyrielle structure is hugely adaptable with the versatility of the refrain line and the freedom change the direction of the thoughts conveyed. With a little practice this form is an excellent addition to your poetic craft.
Ghazal
(pronounced "ghuzzle") is an Arabic word that means "talking to women."
History.
The Ghazal was developed in Persia in the 10th century AD from the Arabic verse form qasida. It was brought to India with the Mogul invasion in the 12th century. The Ghazal tradition is currently practiced in Iran (Farsi), Pakistan (Urdu) and India (Urdu and Hindi). In India and Pakistan, Ghazals are set to music and have achieved commercial popularity as recordings and in movies. A number of American poets, including Adrienne Rich and W.S. Merwin, have written Ghazals, usually without the strict pattern of the traditional form.
Form.
A traditional Ghazal consists of five to fifteen couplets, typically seven. A refrain (a repeated word or phrase) appears at the end of both lines of the first couplet and at the end of the second line in each succeeding couplet. In addition, one or more words before the refrain are rhymes or partial rhymes. The lines should be of approximately the same length and meter. The poet may use the final couplet as a signature couplet, using his or her name in first, second or third person, and giving a more direct declaration of thought or feeling to the reader.
Style.
Each couplet should be a poem in itself, like a pearl in a necklace. There should not be continuous development of a subject from one couplet to the next through the poem. The refrain provides a link among the couplets, but they should be detachable, quotable, grammatical units. There should be an epigrammatic terseness, yet each couplet should be lyric and evocative.
For examples and more on Ghazals, see the anthology edited by Agha Shahid Ali: Ravishing Disunities: Real Ghazals in English (Wesleyan University Press, 2000). Included are seven lovely Ghazals by William Matthews and a number of other fine ones.
Haiku
is a poetic form and a type of poetry from the Japanese culture. Haiku combines form, content, and language in a meaningful, yet compact form. Haiku poets, which you will soon be, write about everyday things. Many themes include nature, feelings, or experiences. Usually they use simple words and grammar. The most common form for Haiku is three short lines. The first line usually contains five (5) syllables, the second line seven (7) syllables, and the third line contains five (5) syllables. Haiku doesn't rhyme. A Haiku must "paint" a mental image in the reader's mind. This is the challenge of Haiku - to put the poem's meaning and imagery in the reader's mind in ONLY 17 syllables over just three (3) lines of poetry!
HAIKU
The Rose
Donna Brock
The red blossom bends
and drips its dew to the ground.
Like a tear it falls
An acrostic poem is a verse in which
sets of letters (like the beginning letters) form a word.
T owering trees
R eign the forest.
E vergreens are huge.
E veryday they keep us alive.
Echo Verse
A poem in which the last syllable or two of a main line is repeated, perhaps with different spelling or meaning, as if an echo; usually this echo will be indented to a point under or beyond the syllable it mimics and will function as an independent line of one or two syllables.
Sometimes the word echo will precede the repetition, like to identify the speaker in a play. Echo Verse can often serve an ironic purpose, the meaning of the echo conflicting with what the original sound means example ‘know’ echoed by ‘no’. On the other hand an echo poem can be used simply as another kind of rhyme.
Heaven
Oh who will show me those delights on high!
Echo I
Thou Echo, thou art mortal, all men know.
Echo No
Wert thou not born among the trees and leaves?
Echo Leaves
And are there any leaves, that still abide?
Echo Bide
What leaves are they? Impart the matter wholly.
Echo Holy
Are holy leaves the Echo then of blisse?
Echo Yes
Then tell me, what is that supreme delight?
Echo Light
Light to the minde: what shall the will enjoy?
Echo Joy
But are there cares and businesse with the pleasure?
Echo Leisure
Light, joy and leisure; but shall they persever?
Echo Ever
Tanka
A Tanka is a Japanese verse form consisting of five lines with a syllable count of ( 5, 7, 5, 7, 7 ) or 31 syllables in all.
Imagery is important when constructing a tanka, but it doesn’t need to be as obscure as a haiku
Petrarchan Sonnet
The Petrarchan sonnet, also known as the Italian sonnet, originated in Italy in the 13th Century and was associated with the Italian poet Petrarch.
It is a sonnet in its classic form and tends to split into two sections, known as octave (eight line stanza) and sestet (six line stanza). The octave has two quatrains, rhyming a-b-b-a, a-b-b-a; the first quatrain presents the theme, the second develops it. The sestet is built on two or three different rhymes, arranged either c-d-e-c-d-e or c-d-c-d-c-d or c-d-e-d-c-e; the first three lines reflect on the theme and the last three lines bring the whole poem to a close.
a
b
b
a
a
b
b
a
c
d
e
c
d
e
OR a
b
b
a
a
b
b
a
c
d
c
d
c
d
OR a
b
b
a
a
b
b
a
c
d
e
d
c
e
On His Being Arrived to the Age of Twenty-three
How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth, (a)
Stolen on his wing my three and twentieth year! (b)
My hasting days fly on with full career, (b)
But my late spring no bud or blossom shew'th. (a)
Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth, (a)
That I to manhood am arrived so near, (b)
And inward ripeness doth much less appear, (b)
That some more timely-happy spirits indu'th. (a)
Yet be it less or more, or soon or slow, (c)
It shall be still in strictest measure even (d)
To that same lot, however mean or high, (e)
Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heaven. (d)
All is, if I have grace to use it so, (c)
As ever in my great Task-master's eye. (e)
John Milton
Pantoum
Renowned as one of the classic forms of poetry. Despite its somewhat strict structure, the pantoum is still a versatile poetic form. Written in four line stanzas called quatrains, pantoums can be written in free verse, metered or rhyme. Originally a Malayan form, the structure of a pantoum is that it is written in couplets, repeating lines in an interlocking pattern. Although due to this nature there is no length restriction to a pantoum, they are generally kept within a few verses, as any longer than this would put stress on the poet’s ingenuity and the readers' patience. It is more vital to have a strong opening line in a pantoum than with any other poetic form, as without this, the rest of the poem loses its meaning and sense. Below shows the pantoum's repeating format, and an example of how these work in together. In the example, the letters A, B, C etc refer to whole repeated lines, not just rhyming lines.
a First Line
b Second Line
c Third Line
d Fourth Line
b Second Line
e Fifth Line
d Fourth Line
f Sixth Line
e Fifth Line
c Third Line
f Sixth Line
a First Line As she dances on the moonlit glen
Taking in the freshness of the air
She is alone, but not lonely
She is surrounded by spirits
Taking in the freshness of the air
Searching again for her silent companions
She is surrounded by spirits
They watch the contentment she holds
Searching again for her silent companions
She is alone, but not lonely
They watch the contentment she holds
As she dances on the moonlit glen
Cinquain
Formed by American poet Adelaide Crapsey around 1909-1910, cinquains are a form of English haiku.
Its form is twenty-two syllables over five lines distributed 2,4,6,8,2. The first line will be used to name the subject; line two will describe this subject; the third line will be three action words; line four is a phrase describing the subject, though not in a complete sentence; finally the fifth line will sum up the poem with some impact.
Below is an example of one of Crapsey’s wider known cinquains.
Triad
These be (2)
Three silent things; (4)
The falling snow . . . the hour (6)
Before the dawn . . . the mouth of one (8)
Just dead. (2)
Triolet
(pronounced tree-o-lay) originated in France in the 13th Century and is usually short and witty. However, some of the first English triolets were essentially spiritual.
The Triolet consists of eight lines and two rhymes. The 4th and 7th lines are a repeat of the 1st line. The 8th line is a repeat of the 2nd line:
1 A
2 B
3 a - rhymes with 1st line
4 A - identical to 1st line
5 a - rhymes with 1st line
6 b - rhymes with 2nd line
7 A - identical to 1st line
8 B - identical to 2nd line
Birds At Winter
Around the house the flakes fly faster, (A)
And all the berries now are gone (B)
From holly and cotoneaster (a)
Around the house. The flakes fly! – faster (A)
Shutting indoors the crumb-outcaster (a)
We used to see upon the lawn (b)
Around the house. The Flakes fly faster (A)
And all the berries now are gone! (B)
Thomas Hardy A
B
a
A
a
b
A
B
Limerick
Speculated to have been invented by soldiers returning from France to the Irish town of Limerick in the 1700s, the sign of a good limerick is the last line where the punch line or heart of the joke lies.
In its basic form, a limerick is a five-line poem with one couplet and one triplet. The rhyme pattern is AABBA, with lines 1,2 and 5 containing three beats and rhyming. Lines 3 and 4 will have two beats and also rhyme. As mentioned before, limericks are meant to be funny, sometimes bordering on the darker sense of humour.
Below are examples of Edward Lear's (1812-1888) limericks, some of which you may recognise.
There was an old man of Tobago
Who lived of rice, gruel and sago
Till, much to his bliss,
His physician said this -
To a leg, sir, of mutton you may go.
There was a Young Lady in White
Who looked out at the depths of the Night;
But the birds of the air
Filled her heart with despair,
And oppressed that Young Lady in White
There was a Young Lady of Lucca,
Whose lovers completely forsook her;
She ran up a tree
And said, 'Fiddle-de-dee!'
Which embarrassed the people of Lucca.
Ballad
The ballad first began as a song that tells a story to the listener. Circulated as songs, this would then be passed onto generation after generation in its musical form. There was a clearly defined growth in the ballad’s popularity in the fifteenth century mainly due to the ability to print them on broadsheets, which would then be sold at fairs and markets.
There are two main forms of ballads: traditional and street. Though there is no chronological evidence to support, it is believed that the traditional form is the earliest of the two versions. Somewhat idiosyncratic , the ballad has more emphasis on its narrative opposed to a complex structure. The progression of this form has shown many changes in its style, whereas originally, the content was heroic, it soon adapted that the characters were comical, and the heroes therein were made a mockery of.
Below is a copy of The Twa Corbies, or as it is more commonly known - The Three Ravens, here the rhyme is clearly marked as well as the emphasis on certain words within the stanza.
The Twa Corbies
As I was walking all alane
I heard twa corbies making a mane
The tane unto the t’other say
‘Where sall we gang and dine today?’
‘-In behint you auld fail d**e,
I wot ther kues a bew-slain knight;
And naebody kens that he lies there,
But his hawk, his hound and his lady fair.
His hound is to the hunting gane,
His hawk to fetch the wild-fowl hame,
His lady ta’en another mate,
So we may make our dinner sweet.
Ye’ll sit on his white hause-bane,
And I’ll pick out his bonnyblue een:
Wi’ ae locko’ his gowden hair
We’ll theek our nest when it grows bare.
mony a one for him makes Mane,
But nen sall ken where he is gane;
o’er his white banes, when they are bare,
The wind shall blaw for evermair.’ C
A
A
B
B
C
C
D
D
E
E
F
F
G
G
H
H
I
I
J
J
In The Twa Corbies there is the distinctive stanza form with each line containing four stresses and a rhyming pattern of aabb. These are not restrictive forms and there are several variations that can be followed
The fourth stress from lines one and three can be dropped.
Internal rhyme can be added to lines one and three so that the second and fourth stresses in the line rhyme.
The form can be changed to a four-line stanza with four stresses in each, known as the long meter,
The form can be altered to a four-line stanza with three stresses in each, known as a short meter.
Sonnet
More sophisticated than your average rhyming poetry, the sonnet is sometimes considered to be the most accessible of classic forms.
In its basic definition, a sonnet is a rhyming poem of fourteen lines with ten syllables per line, generally written in iambic pentameter meaning there is the rhythm ti-tum; ti-tum; ti-tum. Although there are many different varieties, the two most common variations of sonnets are; the English sonnet- popularised by William Shakespeare, and the Italian sonnet- or sometimes referred to as the Petrarchan sonnet due to the first major practitioner Francesco Petrarch.
Below is the example of an English sonnet, written by
Shakespeare.
Sonnet 130
My Mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
There in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak; yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground
Any yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare
A
B
A
B
C
D
C
D
E
F
E
F
G
G
As can be plotted in this example, a sonnet follows a traditional structure:
• A proposition is set out
• The proposition is then developed
• Either a conclusion is reached, or there is a thought-provoking finale
Moving on to the Italian sonnet, the same conventions are followed, but the stanzas follow a different structure. The first stanza is composed of eight lines, and the second of six lines.
Below is an example of an Italian sonnet by William Wordsworth.
The World
The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little we see in nature that is ours:
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
The sea that bared her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gather'd now like sleeping flowers;
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not- Great God! I'd rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn:
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.
A
B
B
A
C
D
D
C
E
F
E
F
E
F
Here the proposition is put forward and developed within the beginning eight lines, and the solution/reconciliation is within the final six lines.
Rondeau
Rondeaux are French lyrical poems, originally developed as a form of medieval courtly music. As song, the form was four stanzas with fully repeating refrains. It was adopted by church musicians as an emotionally rich container, ideal for spiritual worship.
The rondeau developed into a form for expressing devotion to secular objects such as springtime, love and romance and also offered a vehicle for the celebration of melancholy: many rondeaux seem to be about pain and loss; yet turn, by the last stanza, almost jovial. It has been reported that only the English, who adopted the rondeau at the end of the 18th century, truly attempt serious verse with this form.
The standard, literary rondeau is usually found as three stanzas - a quintet, quatrain and sestet - with each of the 15 lines containing eight syllables. The refrain consists of the first four syllables, (or sometimes the first word), of the first stanza; and ends the second and third stanzas. Only two rhymes are used throughout and the rhyming scheme is as follows: aabba aabR aabbaR.
In Flanders Fields by John McCrae is a good example of the standard literary rondeau.
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place, and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead; short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe!
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high!
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
a
a
b
b
a
a
a
b
Refrain
a
a
b
b
a
Refrain
Variations on the Rondeau
The Rondelet
Coming from the French word 'round', the rondelet consists of two rhymes, contained within a single, seven-line stanza. There are a specific number of syllables per line and line one is repeated as lines three and seven.
Line 1
Line 2
Line 3
Line 4
Line 5
Line 6
Line 7 a (four syllables)
b (eight syllables)
repeat line one
a (eight syllables)
b (eight syllables)
b (eight syllables)
repeat line one
The Rondel
The rondel consists of 13 lines, divided into three stanzas, and includes two repeated lines
Stanza One
Stanza Two
Stanza Three abba
ab, line one, line two
abba, line one
The Rondeau Redouble
The rondeau redouble is the French translation of a double rondeau. Consisting of 25 lines, it features a four-line refrain which forms the first quatrain. These four lines are then used successively as the last lines of the following four quatrains. The sixth and final stanza is a quintrain which contains no repetition of previous lines; it does, however, include a 'tail' which is the beginning clause or phrase from line one.
The same two rhymes are used throughout and the rhyming scheme is as follows:
Stanza One
Stanza Two
Stanza Three
Stanza Four
Stanza Five
Stanza Six A1B1A2B2
abbA1
abaB1
babA2
abaB2
abab
tail from line one
The following example, by Frances Stillman, is taken from The Poet's Manual and Rhyming Dictionary.
Death That Took Fair Helen
Oh Death that took fair Helen, you who wait
Down every twisted passageway we wend,
We'll see your unknown visage, soon or late -
The passageway will turn, and reach an end.
And are you enemy, or are you friend?
Along the walls are pictured scenes that state
The beauty that all living might portend.
Oh Death that took fair Helen, you who wait
And we mistake the scenes for real, and prate
Of what we hope, or how our life will trend,
Taking for granted there is something great
Down every twisted passageway we wend.
We do not know what waits around each bend,
And wish our passageways were clear and straight-
But whether they go upward or descend,
We'll see your unknown visage, soon or late.
And sometime when we're gay, inebriate
Of life itself, and hear our bards commend
The upward way, and celebrate man's fate
The passageway will turn, and reach an end.
What gods are there we might propitiate?
How guard the passageway, and how defend
The right to keep on going? - we who hate
And fear your scythe with every breath we spend,
Oh Death that took fair Helen?
A1
B1
A2
B2
a
b
b
A1
a
b
a
B1
b
a
b
A2
a
b
a
B2
a
b
a
b
R
Kyrielle
The kyrielle is a medieval French form whose name is derived from a part of the church liturgy, the kyrie eleision, which is characterised by frequent repetition, as in a refrain, of the sentence 'Lord, have mercy upon us'. The kyrielle is written in couplets that are often paired in quatrain; this refrain may be composed of as little as a single word or as much as a whole line. As is normal for French poetic forms it is syllabic, usually eight syllables (see the example below). The poem rhymes a-A, a-A, etc, if it is in couplets, or a-a-b-B, c-c-b-B, etc, if in quatrains. The latter may also be rhymed a-b-a-B, c-b-c-B, etc.
A Lenten Hymn
With broken heart and contrite sigh,
A trembling sinner, Lord, I cry:
Thy pard'ning grace is rich and free:
O God, be merciful to me.
I smite upon my troubled breast,
With deep and conscious guilt opprest,
Christ and His cross my only plea:
O God, be merciful to me.
Far off I stand with tearful eyes,
Nor dare uplift them to the skies;
But Thou dost all my anguish see:
O God be merciful to me.
Nor alms, nor deeds that I have done,
Can for a single sin atone;
To Calvary alone I flee:
O God, be merciful to me.
And when, redeemed from sin and hell,
With all the ransomed throng I dwell,
My raptured song shall ever be,
God has been merciful to me.
a
a
b
B Refrain
c
c
b
B Refrain
d
d
b
B Refrain
e
e
b
B Refrain
f
f
b
B Refrain
Thomas Campion, 1567 -1620
The words to many hymns are in this rather simple form, though it is by no means confined to religious poetry. The kyrielle structure is hugely adaptable with the versatility of the refrain line and the freedom change the direction of the thoughts conveyed. With a little practice this form is an excellent addition to your poetic craft.
Ghazal
(pronounced "ghuzzle") is an Arabic word that means "talking to women."
History.
The Ghazal was developed in Persia in the 10th century AD from the Arabic verse form qasida. It was brought to India with the Mogul invasion in the 12th century. The Ghazal tradition is currently practiced in Iran (Farsi), Pakistan (Urdu) and India (Urdu and Hindi). In India and Pakistan, Ghazals are set to music and have achieved commercial popularity as recordings and in movies. A number of American poets, including Adrienne Rich and W.S. Merwin, have written Ghazals, usually without the strict pattern of the traditional form.
Form.
A traditional Ghazal consists of five to fifteen couplets, typically seven. A refrain (a repeated word or phrase) appears at the end of both lines of the first couplet and at the end of the second line in each succeeding couplet. In addition, one or more words before the refrain are rhymes or partial rhymes. The lines should be of approximately the same length and meter. The poet may use the final couplet as a signature couplet, using his or her name in first, second or third person, and giving a more direct declaration of thought or feeling to the reader.
Style.
Each couplet should be a poem in itself, like a pearl in a necklace. There should not be continuous development of a subject from one couplet to the next through the poem. The refrain provides a link among the couplets, but they should be detachable, quotable, grammatical units. There should be an epigrammatic terseness, yet each couplet should be lyric and evocative.
For examples and more on Ghazals, see the anthology edited by Agha Shahid Ali: Ravishing Disunities: Real Ghazals in English (Wesleyan University Press, 2000). Included are seven lovely Ghazals by William Matthews and a number of other fine ones.
Haiku
is a poetic form and a type of poetry from the Japanese culture. Haiku combines form, content, and language in a meaningful, yet compact form. Haiku poets, which you will soon be, write about everyday things. Many themes include nature, feelings, or experiences. Usually they use simple words and grammar. The most common form for Haiku is three short lines. The first line usually contains five (5) syllables, the second line seven (7) syllables, and the third line contains five (5) syllables. Haiku doesn't rhyme. A Haiku must "paint" a mental image in the reader's mind. This is the challenge of Haiku - to put the poem's meaning and imagery in the reader's mind in ONLY 17 syllables over just three (3) lines of poetry!
HAIKU
The Rose
Donna Brock
The red blossom bends
and drips its dew to the ground.
Like a tear it falls
