Poetic Forms
Below is a list of definitions and explanations of poetic forms. There are subsequent examples of each form for your reference.
Haiku
Haiku Form:
English-Language haiku is incorrectly said to have a prescribed form of three lines of 5-7-5 syllables and a seasonal reference. However, there is a great deal of debate about the form of English haiku and few agree that the3-line, 5-7-5 season reference form is the only acceptable form.
Some of the critical aspects of haiku form that have been mentioned are:
- Brevity: one to three lines totaling 17 syllables or less; the average length of published English-language haiku is about 13 syllables. Some suggest that a better measure of brevity is that when read aloud, a haiku can be completed in one breadth. Try reading aloud the spring sun haiku (above) and see if you can do it in one breath.
- Two phrases: most (not all) haiku are composed of two distinct phrases. In the spring sun haiku the phrases are: 1) spring sun and 2) cedar waxwings fill the leafless plum.
- Descriptiveness: haiku describe things, what case be seen, heard, tasted, felt or smelled. They don't prescribe or tell or intellectualize or state the poet's feelings about things.
- Lack of poetic devices: avoidance of traditional poetic forms such as rhyming, simile and metaphor.
- Juxtaposition: the two phrases are seemingly about different elements noticed by the writer, but the relationship between them is what provides the poetic spark. In the example above, the feel of the spring sun on the body is being likened to the sight of birds (cedar waxwings) filling up a leafless tree.
Haiku also has purpose: communication and awareness. Along with other forms of writing and poetry, it is a vehicle for conveying feelings, sentiments, impressions, perceptions to other persons.
Haiku writing is a form of meditiation, starting with an intensification of 'noticing' what is going on in the everyday world, followed by the practice of mental writing – creating haiku in the mind and playing with the form and rhythm until it feels right – and finally putting the haiku to pen and paper – writing and rewriting the haiku. I wrote the following haiku after a walk in river valley near my home. The stream was flowing slowly and noiselessly, the birds were quiet, the breeze was too slight to make a sound in the leaves, and suddenly a mallard called to his mate with that sound that is so unique to mallards.
midday hushthe rasp of a mallard
calling his mate
pubished in The Heron's Nest
Sestina
History
The inventor of the sestina, Arnaut Daniel, belonged to a group of twelfth-century poets--the troubadours--who needed, for their fame and fortune, to shock, delight, and entertain. . . The troubadours first appear in southern France in the twelfth century. Their name is most certainly extracted from the verb trobar--meaning "to invent or compose verse." They were famous, celebrated, much in fashion, and eventually very influential on the European poetry of the next few centuries. . . They sang--their poems were always accompanied by music--for French nobles like the Duke of Aquitaine or the Count of Poitiers. They competed with one another to produce the wittiest, most elaborate, most difficult styles. This difficult, complex style was called the trobar clus. The easier, more open one was called the trobar leu. The sestina was part of the trobar clus. It was the form for a master troubadour.
Form
A 1
B 2
C 3
D 4
E 5
F 6
F 6
A 1
E 5
B 2
D 4
C 3
C 3
F 6
D 4
A 1
B 2
E 5
E 5
C 3
B 2
F 6
A 1
D 4
D 4
E 5
A 1
C 3
F 6
B 2
B 2
D 4
F 6
E 5
C 3
A 1
B 2 E 5
D4 C3 envoi
F6 A 1
Sestina: Altaforte
by Ezra Pound
I
Damn it all! all this our South stinks peace.
You whoreson dog, Papiols, come! Let¹s to music!
I have no life save when swords clash.
But ah! when I see the standards gold, vair,purple,opposing
And the broad fields beneath them turn crimson,
Then howel I my heart nigh mad rejoying.
II
In hot summer have I great rejoicing
When tempests kill the earth¹s foul peace,
And the light¹nings from black heav¹n flash crimson,
And the fierce thunders roar me their music
And the winds shriek through the clouds mad, opposing,
And through all the riven God¹s swords clash.
III
Hell grant soon we hear again the swords clash!
And the shrill neighs of destriers in battle rejoicing,
Spiked breast to spiked breast opposing!
Better one hour¹s stour than a year¹s peace
With fat boards, bawds, wine and frail music!
Bah! there¹s no wine like the blood¹s crimson!
IV
And I love to see the sun rise blood-crimson.
And I watch his spears throught he dark clash
and it fills my heart with rejoycing
And pries wide my mouth with fast music
When I see him so scorn and defy peace,
His lone might Œgainst all darkmess opposing.
V
The man who fears war and squats opposing
My words for stour, hath no blood of crimson
But it is fit only to rotin womanish peace
Far from where worth¹s won and the swords clash
For the death of sluts I go rejoicing;
Yea, I fill all the air with my music.
VI
Papiols, Papiols, to the music!
There¹s no sound like to swords swords opposing,
No cry like the battle¹s rejoicing
When our elbows and swords drip the crimson
And our charges Œgainst "The Leopard's" rush clash.
May God damn for ever all who cry "Peace!"
VII
And let the music of the swords make them crimson!
Hell grant soon we hear again the swords clash!
Hell blot black for always the thought "Peace"!
Concrete
Concrete (or shape) poetry is an inventive form where the poetry takes on the shape of its subject. OR Poetry that visually conveys the poet's meaning through the graphic arrangement of letters, words, or symbols on the page.
Triangle
I
am
a very
special
shape I have
three points and
three lines straight.
Look through my words
and you will see, the shape
that I am meant to be. I'm just
not words caught in a tangle. Look
close to see a small triangle. My angles
add to one hundred and eighty degrees, you
learn this at school with your abc's. Practice your
maths and you will see, some other fine examples of me.
ACROSTIC
A verse in which certain letters such as the first in each line form a word or a message.
Australia is My Country
Australia is my country
Under southern skies so free,
Snakes curl in a hollow log
Treefrogs sing to me.
Roads go on forever
As you drive from east to west.
Lizards bask in desert sands
Insects are a pest.
Australia is my country
It snows on mountains high.
Sheep still wander on the range
Maybe if you try,
You might imagine what it's like
Camping in the wild,
Or relaxing in the tropics
Up where the weather's mild.
Nothing in the world compares
To Aussie green and gold,
Red dirt, blue seas, the sand and surf,
Your mates - It can't be sold.
Elizabeth it is in vain you say
“Love not” — thou sayest it in so sweet a way:
In vain those words from thee or L. E. L.
Zantippe’s talents had enforced so well:
Ah! if that language from thy heart arise,
Breathe it less gently forth — and veil thine eyes.
Endymion, recollect, when Luna tried
To cure his love — was cured of all beside —
His folly — pride — and passion — for he died.
CINQUAIN
The traditional cinquain is based on a syllable count.
line 1 - 2 syllables
line 2 - 4 syllables
line 3 - 6 syllables
line 4 - 8 syllables
line 5 - 2 syllables
The modern cinquain is based on a word count of words of a certain type.
line 1 - one word (noun) a title or name of the subject
line 2 - two words (adjectives) describing the title
line 3 - three words (verbs) describing an action related to the title
line 4 - four words describing a feeling about the titlem, a complete sentence
line 5 - one word referring back to the title of the poem
A Threat - Cinquain
Stormclouds,
casting shadows
over weary soldiers,
threaten to cry heavy buckets
of tears.
Repose – Cinquain
Woodlandsshelter the sprites,providing a safe placeto rest, after a big day ofmagic.
DIAMONTE
The diamonte is fun and easy to write. The purpose is to go from the subject at the top of the diamond to another totally different (and sometimes opposite) subject at the bottom. The structure is:
line 1 - one noun (subject #1)
line 2 - two adjectives (describing subject #1)
line 3 - three participles (ending in -ing, telling about the subject #1)
line 4 - four nouns (first two related to the subject #1, second two related to subject #2)
line 5 - three participles (ending in -ing, telling about subject #2)
line 6 - two adjectives (describing subject #2)
line 7 - one noun (subject #2)
Devil Child - Diamonte
demon,
wicked, evil,
tempting, provoking, vexing,
adversary, fiend, angel, saint,
caring, sharing, loving,
sweet, innocent,
cherub
Cat and Dog - Diamonte
Cat
curious stuck-up
hissing scratching fighting
opinionated hunter companionable friend
barking tail-wagging fetching
loyal faithful
Dog
Noble Drunk
Noble,
highborn, aristocracy
Upstanding, imposing, dignifying,
statesman, monach, alcholic, boozer.
Vomiting, spewing, heaving,
pathetic, wretched,
Drunk
RICTAMETER
A rictameter is a nine line poetry form. The 1st and last lines are the same with the syllable count as follows:
line 1 - 2 syllables - same as line 9
line 2 - 4 syllables
line 3 - 6 syllables
line 4 - 8 syllables
line 5 - 10 syllables
line 6 - 8 syllables
line 7 - 6 syllables
line 8 - 4 syllables
line 9 - 2 syllables - same as line 1
Empathy - Rictameter
Feelings
in teenage girls
change like the weather in
Melbourne, one minute it's raining
then it's hailing, half an hour after that
it's warm and sunny, so intense.
I was a teenager once
and recall those
feelings.
Alone - Rictameter
Alone,
watching the tides
ebb and flow pass me by,
I ask myself why I stay here.
Looking past the sparkle and glitter to
reality, the harsh truth is
I don't have any friends.
I'll always be
alone.
DODOITSU
The Dodoitsu is a fixed folk song form of Japanese origin and is often about love or humor. It has 26 syllables made of of four lines of 7, 7, 7, 5 syllables respectively. It is unrhymed and non-metrical.
Buried Treasure -Dodoitsu
Gemstones the size of grapefruit
hide camoflaged in the rocks
buried like a treasure chest
waiting to be found.
SHAKESPEARIAN SONNET
The Shakespearian sonnet, also known as the English Sonnet, is written in fourteen lines of in iambic pentameter. It uses alternative rhyme connecting different images and a final couplet forming a conclusion. The Shakespearean sonnet is flexible in its volta, or turning point, (Shakespeare often used line 9), and has a rhyme scheme of abab,cdcd,efef,gg.
The Runner -Sonnet
With fierce determination on her face,
she spans the running track beneath her feet,
her lengthy stride's consistent, keeping pace.
The runner, focused, does not feel the heat.
A bead of sweat starts trickling down her brow.
The crowd stands, roaring loudly in delight
as nothing matters but the here and now.
The finish line will soon appear in sight.
Olympic glory features in her dream,
Apollo, proud, observes her steely will.
A victory here will raise her high esteem.
and show the world her country's awesome skill.
The ancient games portrayed in years of old
continue as she races for the gold.
TETRACTYS
Tetractys should express a complete thought, profound or comic, witty or wise using 20 syllables. They can be written with more than one verse but each subsequent verse must invert the syllable count. There is no limit to the number of verses. The structure is:
line 1 - 1 syllable
line 2 - 2 syllables
line 3 - 3 syllables
line 4 - 4 syllables
line 5 - 10 syllables
By-roads -Tetractys
By
breaking
barriers,
brotherhood brings
befriended believers boundless beauty.
Regular rituals remain righteous.
Rediscover
religion's
rambling
roads.
Mmm... -Tetractys
Why
is it
that nothing
smells as good as
freshly baked bread, straight from Grandma's oven?
VILLANELLE
The villanelle has 19 lines, 5 stanzas of three lines and 1 stanza of four lines with two rhymes and two refrains. The 1st, then the 3rd lines alternate as the last lines of stanzas 2,3,and 4, and then stanza 5 (the end) as a couplet. It is usually written in tetrameter (4 feet) or pentameter.The structure is:
line 1 - a - 1st refrain
line 2 - b
line 3 - a - 2nd refrain
line 4 - a
line 5 - b
line 6 - a - 1st refrain (same as line 1)
line 7 - a
line 8 - b
line 9 - a - 2nd refrain (same as line 2)
line 10 - a
line 11 - b
line 12 - a - 1st refrain (same as line 1)
line 13 - a
line 14 - b
line 15 - a - 2nd refrain (same as line 2)
line 16 - a
line 17 - b
line 18 - a - 1st refrain (same as line 1)
line 19 - a - 2nd refrain (same as line 2)
Do You Stand Alone -Villanelle
Do you stand alone in a crowd
Do you always do your best
Head held high and feeling proud
Do you whisper or speak aloud
Or like a sheep go with the rest
Do you stand alone in a crowd
Straight and tall and head unbowed
Are you righteous or are you blessed
Head held high and feeling proud
Seeds of doubt we must unshroud
Are you ready to sit the test
Do you stand alone in a crowd
No matter how you are endowed
If you give when you are pressed
Head held high and feeling proud
If fruits of wisdom you have ploughed
I welcome you to be my guest
Do you stand alone in a crowd
Head held high and feeling proud
BALLAD
The first ballads appeared in the 15th century telling a story. They were often in the form of popular songs and have simple rhyme schemes and regular rhythm. They are iambic and some have a chorus or refrain. Popular rhyme schemes are a b c b; and a b c b d b. Some famous ballads are The Man From Snowy River by A.B. (Banjo) Patterson); The Walrus and the Carpenter by Lewis Caroll; and The Rime of The Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. In Australia the 'Bush' ballad is still popular. No matter what the country, the folk ballad is quite often the earliest form of literature and was orally passed down through generations.
The Legend of Lady Godiva - Ballad
When powerful lords ruled England
in the days of King Canute,
Godgifu rode through Coventry
wearing her birthday suit.
Society then had women
well out of public view.
Godgifu showed much charity.
She was religious too.
Leofric, the Earl of Mercia,
her husband in God's name,
would persecute the church she served
and commonfolk the same.
To pay for Canute's bodyguard
he never showed mercy,
imposing heavy taxes on
the folk of Coventry.
Godgifu quarrelled frequently
to beg he change his ways,
to plead that he be lenient
and not take all their pays.
One day they had an argument
this much he had to say,
"I promise to remit the tax
if you on market day
will ride the streets of Coventry
stark naked on your horse."
Knowing full well his pious wife
would not do this, of course.
But Leofric had forgotten of
Godgifu's great concern
and compassion for the people.
They showed respect in turn.
Lady Godgifu requested
that people stay inside
behind their shuttered windows when
she passed by on her ride.
It was a such a famous journey.
The beautiful and fair
Lady Godgifu rode the streets
clothed just in long blonde hair.
There only was one person who
could not resist a peep,
the tailor, now called 'Peeping Tom'
struck blind, and left to weep.
The tyrant Leofric kept his word
and stopped collecting tax.
He changed his ways. In Coventry
the people could relax.
The couple patched their differences,
sought out God together.
The legend of that daring ride
will live on forever.
It was such a famous journey.
The beautiful and fair
Lady Godgifu rode the streets
clothed just in long blonde hair.
Dramatic Monologue
The Dramatic Monologue is written in the first person, apparent either at the beginning or disclosed somewhere within the poem. This is often an historical personage, who becomes the persona of the poem. This will often be the case with the Whitehern material since the monologue may be “spoken” by one of the members of the family, as in a letter.
2. In the Dramatic Monologue there is an explicit or an implied listener, and the listener is sometimes addressed in the poem.
3. In the Dramatic Monologue the persona of the poem reveals or betrays something of his/her own character in the telling, often a negative aspect, and certainly an ironic or dramatic aspect.
4. The form of a Dramatic Monologue varies, but is usually a lyric poem, and can be a strictly structured poem like a sonnet, or can be a prose poem, or blank verse.