Week Thirty-Six: Pantoum

On By Adam AstraIn creative writing, poetry, Poetry Challenge, writing1 Comment

Meet the Pantoum

We learned in our explorations of the Kyrielle [Week 13], Villanelle [Week 23] and Terzanelle [Week 32] that the French love their repeating refrains. But the Pantoum is a French adaptation of a form that is Malaysian in origin.

Key Features of the Pantoum Poem

Form: composed of any number of quatrains

Refrain: The second and fourth lines of one stanza repeat as the first and third lines of the next. Some variation is allowed to add interest.

Rhyme: abab rhyme scheme

Example Pantoum

Another Lullaby for Insomniacs

by A. E. STALLING

Sleep, she will not linger:
She turns her moon-cold shoulder.
With no ring on her finger,
You cannot hope to hold her.

She turns her moon-cold shoulder
And tosses off the cover.
You cannot hope to hold her:
She has another lover.

She tosses off the cover
And lays the darkness bare.
She has another lover.
Her heart is otherwhere.

She lays the darkness bare.
You slowly realize
Her heart is otherwhere.
There’s distance in her eyes.

You slowly realize
That she will never linger,
With distance in her eyes
And no ring on her finger.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An Original Pantoum

Coronavirus Blues

I woke up this mornin’
And I turned on the news.
Newsman called out a warnin’.
Now I’ve got the coronavirus blues.

Yeah, I turned on the news
And what they said was nothin’ good.
Now I see the coronavirus blues
All around my neighborhood.

What they say is nothin’ good,
Except for those who lie.
All around my neighborhood
We don’t trust that lyin’ guy.

Yeah, we say to those who lie,
“Your judgment’s comin’ quick.
We don’t trust that lyin’ guy
He’s enough to make you sick.”

Their judgment’s comin’ quick,
Those liars on the news.
It’s enough to make you sick.
I’ve got the coronavirus blues.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to Learn More? Start Here:

Pantoum – Writer’s Digest
Pantoum – Poetry Foundation
Pantoum – Wikipedia

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— Write your own Pantoum and share in the comments! —

Week Thirty-Five: Shadorma

On By Adam AstraIn poetic forms challenge, poetry, writing1 Comment

Shadorma

Though it is said to be a popular exercise in modern poetry workshops and classes, there’s not a lot of information to be found on this variation of the haiku, which consists of any number of sestets with a strict syllable count. It is rumored to be of Spanish origin, but even that claim is hard to substantiate. Of course, none of this detracts from the enjoyment in writing the shadorma, especially once you get locked into the rhythm and flow of its short lines.

Key Features of the Shadorma

Syllable Count: 3/5/3/3/7/5
Form: Any number of six-line stanzas (sestets)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An Original Shadorma

Little Goldfish

you can’t swim
your way out of this
bowl little
goldfish and
you can’t learn to breathe this strange
unnatural air

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to Learn More? Start Here:

Shadorma – Writer’s Digest
Shadorma – Wikipedia
Shadorma – Poet’s Collective

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~ Creative works are owned by the author and subject to copyright laws ~

— Write your own Shadorma and share in the comments! —

Week Thirty-Four: Concrete Poem

On By Adam AstraIn poetry, Poetry Challenge, writing1 Comment

Meet the Concrete

Of all the forms we’ve covered so far, the Concrete Poem is unique in its emphasis on the physical form—the actual shape of the words—along with the meaning. Poetry meets typography meets graphic design in this experimental, visually inventive form.

An Original Concrete Poem

Description: Image one reads in black text, “I carry this would like a weapon.” Text of image one is shaped like a sword or dagger. Image two reads in red text, “I am invincible in my pain.” Text of image two is shaped like a shield.

Want to Learn More? Start Here:

Concrete Poems – Writer’s Digest
Concrete Poetry – Wikipedia
Concrete Poetry – Poetry Foundation

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— share in the comments! —

Week Thirty-Three: Anagrammatic Poem

On By Adam AstraIn poetry, Poetry Challenge, Uncategorized, writing1 Comment

Anagram-arama!

Jumblers and scrabblers are well-versed in the art of the anagram, a technique that uses the shuffling of a given selection of letters to find new words. Anagrams can be a lot of fun, so it’s no surprise they are used in many popular word games and puzzles.

Key Features of the Anagrammatic Poem

Content: Always titled, and only letters featured in the title can be used

Form: The anagrammatic method can be combined with existing poetic forms (such as the haiku, sonnet, etc.) or used to create new ones.

Example

Anagrammatic [a hay(na)ku]

Ma’am,
I am
An anagrammatic man.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An Original Poem

February [a hay(na)ku]

brrr
buy beer
rub furry bear

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to Learn More? Start Here:

Anagrammatic Poetry – Writer’s Digest
Anagrammatic Poetry – Wikipedia
Anagram – Poetry Foundation

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— Write your own anagrammatic poem and share in the comments! —

Week Thirty-Two: Terzanelle

On By Adam AstraIn poetry, Poetry Challenge, writing1 Comment

Meet the Terzanelle

Having already covered the terza rima (week 30) and the villanelle (week 23),  now is a great time to introduce the Terzanelle, which is a kind of mash-up of those two very popular Italian forms. 

Key Features

Form: same as villanelle; features a total of nineteen lines, consisting of five tercets concluding in a quatrain

Rhyme: follows the terza rima’s interlocking rhyme scheme (aba-bcb-cdc, etc)

Content: features the villanelle’s repeating refrains

Meter: traditionally iambic pentameter, but modern standards are more relaxed


*For additional help getting started with this somewhat complicated form, check out the links below in the Want to Learn More section.*

Example Poem

Terzanelle in Thunderweather
Lewis Turco

This is the moment when shadows gather
under the elms, the cornices and eaves.
This is the center of thunderweather.

The birds are quiet among these white leaves
where wind stutters, starts, then moves steadily
under the elms, the cornices, and eaves–

these are our voices speaking guardedly
about the sky, of the sheets of lightning
where wind stutters, starts, then moves steadily

into our lungs, across our lips, tightening
our throats. Our eyes are speaking in the dark
about the sky, of the sheets of lightening

that illuminate moments. In the stark
shades we inhibit, there are no words for
our throats. Our eyes are speaking in the dark

of things we cannot say, cannot ignore.
This is the moment when shadows gather,
shades we inhibit. There are no words, for
this is the center of thunderweather.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An Original Terzanelle

Terzanelle by Adam Astra

Even now, there’s some ink left in this pen;
As long as I can find an empty page,
It’s never too late to begin again.

It still feels like I’m naked on a stage
When I undress all these old doubts and dreams.
As long as I can find an empty page,

I can return to the source—that wild stream.
Years spent swimming through stacks of old notebooks
Where I undress all these old doubts and dreams.

I’ve cast out many lines without a hook,
And well, I don’t have time to dwell on my
Years spent swimming through stacks of old notebooks,

Wondering where I’ve lost the time and why.
It’s been a long journey, but now I know
Too well. I don’t have time to dwell on my

Regrets, but I’ve got time to let them go.
Even now, there’s some ink left in this pen.
It’s been a long journey, but now I know
It’s never too late to begin again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to Learn More? Start Here:

Terzanelle – Wikipedia
Terzanelle – Writer’s Digest
Terzanelle – Shadow Poetry

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~ Creative works are owned by the author and subject to copyright laws ~

— Write your own terzanelle and—
— share in the comments! —

Week Thirty-One: Katauta

On By Adam AstraIn poetry, Poetry Challenge, writing1 Comment

Meet the Katauta

The Katauta is a short romantic poem addressed to a lover and is similar to other Japanese forms such as the haiku, somonka, and sedoka. A katauta asks a question, but since the question remains unanswered, it’s sometimes considered more of a half-poem.

Key Features

Form: A short three-line poem, typically untitled
Content: Addressed to a lover and asks a question
Syllable Count: usually 5-7-7, but sometimes 5-7-5

Example Poem

Untitled Katauta, by Robert Lee Brewer

why do winter stars
shine brighter than summer stars
as if they are shards of glass?

An Original Katauta

my love, will we rise
up against this wave of hate,
or will we stay here in bed?

~

Want to Learn More? Start Here:

Katauta – Writer’s Digest
Japanese Poetry Forms – The Poet’s Garret
Katauta – Poets Collective

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— Write your own katauta and—
— share in the comments! —

Week Thirty: Terza Rima

On By Adam AstraIn poetry, Poetry Challenge, writing2 Comments

Meet the Terza Rima

The Terza Rima is a type of verse stanza invented by Italian poet Dante Alghieri and is used in his epic masterwork, The Divine Comedy. Terza rima poems are always written in tercets with an interlinking rhyme scheme unique to the form. In English, the terza rima may be incorporated into other well-known forms, such as the sonnet (see example below).

Key Features of The Terza Rima

Form: Written in any number of tercets, but you’ll probably want at least three to establish the rhyme scheme.


Rhyme: Features a terza rima rhyme scheme (sometimes called a chain rhyme) of aba-bcb-cdc, etc.

Example Poem

Below is an example of a terza rima sonnet

Ode to the West Wind
Percy Bysshe Shelley (1795-1825)

First Movement
O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn’s being,
Thou, from whose unseen presence the leaves dead
Are driven, like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing.

Yellow, and black, and pale, and hectic red,
Pestilence-striken multitudes: O thou,
Who chariotest to their dark wintry bed

The winged seeds, where they lie cold and low,
Each like a corpse within its grave, until
Thine azure sister of the Spring shall blow

Her clarion o’er the dreaming earth, and fill
(Driving sweet buds like flocks to feed in air)
With living hues and odours plain and hill:

Wild Spirit, which art moving everywhere;
Destroyer and preserver; hear, oh hear!

An Original Terza Rima Poem

A Galaxy Newly Born

Nascent love is like a galaxy newly born,
Its elements simple and lighter than air.
But in darkness, its stars yet unformed.

From its center it is an experience as rare,
As clear as desire unclouded by dust,
But from a distance—a dim blue glare.

Heavier elements—security and trust—
Require a ritual, a sacrifice of stars.
Much later will come the planet’s crust.

~

Want to Learn More? Start Here:

Terza Rima – Poets.org
Terza Rima – Wikipedia
Dante Alighieri – Wikipedia
Sonnet Examples – Poetry through the Ages

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— share in the comments! —

Week Twenty-Nine: The Golden Shovel

On By Adam AstraIn poetry, Poetry Challenge, writing1 Comment

Picking Up the Golden Shovel

The Golden Shovel borrows a line (or sometimes many lines) from an existing poem by another poet and uses each word from the existing line(s) as the end word for each line of a new, original poem. This is a great way to give a shout-out to a poet you admire, so always be sure to give credit to the original author!

An Original Golden Shovel

These I Will Keep

after Robert Frost

I’ve always eyed the
path leading into the woods
with curiosity and wonder. Are
the oaks there as lovely,
are the shadows as dark,
as I’ve imagined? And
are the solitudes as deep?

The temptation lingers, but
after everything I
have lost, all I have
left are the promises
I have made to
myself. These I will keep.

~

Want to Learn More? Start Here:

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
The Golden Shovel by Terrance Hayes

The Golden Shovel – Poetry Foundation
Golden Shovel – Writer’s Digest

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Week Twenty-Eight: The Clerihew

On By Adam AstraIn poetry, Poetry Challenge, writingLeave a comment

Meet the Clerihew

The Clerihew is a funny little form invented by English humorist, poet, and novelist Edmund Clerihew Bentley. These bite-sized biographies are meant to entertain as much as inform the reader.

Key Features

Form: Consists of a single four-line (quatrain) stanza following an AABB rhyme scheme.

Content: Biographical and humorous in tone. The first line states the subject’s name, the following three lines state something surprising or funny about the subject.

A Clerihew by E. C. Bentley

George the Third
Ought never to have occurred.
One can only wonder
At so grotesque a blunder.

Another Clerihew by Unknown

Did Descartes
Depart
With the thought
“Therefore I’m not”?

~

Four Original Clerihews


I.
Edmund C. Bentley
Penned poems aplenty.
He wrote some good mysteries, too,
But he’s best known for his clerihew.

II.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Really knew how to rock.
His compositions were so clever
They changed music forever.

III.
Senator Bernie Sanders
Speaks with honesty and candor.
And he’s likely our best hope
To dump the orange dope.

IV.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes
Is an athlete down to his chromosomes.
Still he’s nice enough to permit
His teammates to call him Kermit.

~

Want to Learn More? Start Here:

Clerihew – Wikipedia
What is a Clerihew? – Verse.org

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~ Creative works are owned by the author and subject to copyright laws ~

— Write your own clerihew and—
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Week Twenty-Seven: Hay(na)ku

On By Adam AstraIn poetry, Poetry Challenge, writingLeave a comment

Hay(na)ku Introduction

The hay(na)ku is a newer form that is beautiful in its simplicity. It’s a short form—a three-line poem like the haiku—but unlike that traditional form, words are counted instead of syllables. The hay(na)ku was invented by poet Eileen Tabios. (See links at the end of this post to learn more.)

Key Features

Form: a three-line form (tercet) with one word in the first line, two words in the second line, and three words in the third line. Tercets may be repeated to create a longer work, like in the example below.

Example Hay(na)ku by Rebeka Lembo

Victor
Hugo might
have said there

were
neither bad
seeds nor bad

plants
but bad
raisers; I, however,

firmly
believe he
must have never

had
little hogweeds
in his garden.

~

Two Original Hay(na)ku

I.
January

January—
shivering under
a white sky.

II.
When the Boat is on Fire

There’s
no time
to argue blame

when
the boat
is on fire.

We
must act
with one purpose

if
we wish
to stay afloat.

~

Want to Learn More? Start Here:

Hay(na)ku – Writer’s Digest
Hay(na)ku Poetry – Haynakupoetry.blogspot
Hay(na)ku – Eileen R Tabios

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— Write your own hay(na)ku —
— Share in the comments! —