The Cywydd llosgyrnog is the second Welsh form of this challenge and includes many of the features you come to expect from a Welsh form including: strict syllable count, both end rhymes and internal rhymes, and an extremely difficult-to-pronounce (and spell) name!
Using this handy online Guide to Welsh Pronunciation, the best I can suss out as far as the pronunciation of this form would sound something like “kuh-with th-laws-gurr-nog,” but please understand this is only an educated guess.
Requirements of the Form
The Cywydd llosgyrnog form prescribes no restrictions in content or meter, but there are various other requirements that must be adhered to rather strictly.
Form
– Consists of any number of single six-line stanzas (sestets)
Syllable Count
– Lines 1, 2, 4 and 5 contain eight syllables – Lines 3 and 6 have seven syllables
Rhyme
-End rhymes (lines 1-6): aabccb -Internal rhymes (lines 3 and 6*): ac *generally falling on syllable 3 or 4
When I stop to watch the deep blue Evening descend and the last few Fading hues of daylight’s dream Diffuse into the sloping plains A peace upon my mind again Falls like rain into a stream
The Minute Poem is a modern form of unknown origin. Despite it’s name–and fortunately for us–the Minute Poem is not a poem that you must write in 60 seconds. Rather, it’s a poem consisting of exactly sixty syllables. Further requirements in length, meter, and rhyme help this form stand out and make for a fun and fairly simple challenge.
Lucky for us, the Minute Poem counts syllables, not seconds.
Requirements of the Form
Form
– Consists of three quatrains (four-line stanzas) for a total of twelve lines
Meter
– Strict iambic (unstressed-stressed)
Syllable Count
– Eight syllables in the first line of each stanza – Four syllables in the proceeding lines of each stanza
Rhyme Scheme
– aabb/ccdd/eeff
Requirements Breakdown
1-xxxxxxxa 2-xxxa 3-xxxb 4-xxxb
5-xxxxxxxc 6-xxxc 7-xxxd 8-xxxd
9-xxxxxxxe 10-xxxe 11-xxxf 12-xxxf
An Original Minute Poem
I often sleep through summer’s storm
I often sleep through summer’s storm when nights are warm and thick with dreams or so it seems
the quilt pulled high covers my eyes as lightning flies like moon in shroud of creeping cloud
I wake to find the darkened road the flowers bowed the sagging sky the river high
**Special Announcement: This week’s post will feature a bonus original poem from poet and singer-songwriter Brandon Barnett!**
Meet the Décima
The Décima poetic form is widely used in poetry and song throughout Spain and Latin America, though the requirements may vary somewhat by region. People who write and perform décimas are often referred to as decimistas or deimeros. The form is also known as the espinela in Spanish, after the creator of the modern version of the décima, writer and musician Vicente Gómez Martínez-Espinel.
Photo caption: Spanish writer and musician Vicente Gómez Martínez-Espinel
Regional Variations
A few regional variations are listed below. Pick your favorite, or try them all!
Puerto Rico: Consists of a 10-line stanza, with 8 syllables per line (octosyllabic) and an abbaaccddc rhyme scheme
Italy: The decima Italiana is a 10-line poem, with 8-syllable lines and an ababcdedec rhyme scheme
Ecuador: Here the décima is a 44-line poem made up of a quatrain and four ten-line stanzas. It’s nearly identical to the glosa poetic form
Poetry and Song
The song form of the décima usually consists of 44 lines and is often improvised. Much like the “freestyle rap battle” of modern hip-hop, Decimeros often challenge one another with dueling songs as a way to show off the composer’s wit and skill.
Requirements of the Form
The requirements listed below are for the Puerto Rican poetic form:
Form
– Single 10-line stanza
Content
-Subject matter varies widely, but common themes include philosophy religion, and politics. Satirical décimas are often humorous.
Syllable Count
– 8 syllables per line
Rhyme Scheme
– abbaaccddc
An Original Décima Poem
After Maria
The cameras flash, Trump fakes a smile; He holds his breath, swallows a growl, And throws a roll of paper towels. Empathy missed by a mile For Puerto Rico, enchanted isle. No concern for the common health of neighbors in the commonwealth; Once slaving for the hacienda, Victims of encomienda, They fight to own a sense of self.
*An Original Décima Poem by Special Guest, Brandon Barnett*
We never knocked on rust-streaked doors but entered like the bums we were with hair so ragged–greased like fur– and alcohol from every pore
The only word we spoke was “more!” with glassy eyes on shining things refulgent suds the evening brings and singing out in harmony
But all that now is far from me Though oft-recalled with mem’ry strings
The Miltonic Sonnet is named after the 17th century English poet, political writer, and civil servant, John Milton. With the publishing of his epic poem Paradise Lost, widely regarded as one of the greatest works written in the English language, Milton solidified his reputation as one of the greatest English poets of his time. Milton’s work would live on to influence Romantic poets such as William Blake and William Wordsworth.
Photo caption: A wood engraving from the 19th century depicts a blind John Milton dictating his influential epic poem “Paradise Lost” (Fortuné Louis Méaulle / Wellcome Library)
Milton’s Sonnet
Milton adapted the Petrachan sonnet (named for Italian poet-scholar Petrach) and made the popular form his own. He took the sonnet out of the category of “love poems” and brought it into the world of politics, religion, and social issues. He also introduced enjambments (the technical term used for when a poet carries a line through to the next line), while at the same time removing the space between what was before the first and second stanzas, thus tightening up the form. By removing the volta (also known as a pivot, or turn) after the octave (first eight lines), and varying the rhyme scheme of the sestet (proceeding six lines), he further opened up the form.
A reading of one of Milton’s most famous poems should help demonstrate these contributions to the evolution of the sonnet:
“When I Consider How My Light Is Spent”
When I consider how my light is spent, Ere half my days in this dark world and wide, And that one talent which is death to hide Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent To serve therewith my Maker, and present My true account, lest He returning chide; “Doth God exact day-labor, light denied?” I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent That murmur, soon replies, “God doth not need Either man’s work or His own gifts. Who best Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best. His state Is kingly: thousands at His bidding speed, And post o’er land and ocean without rest; They also serve who only stand and wait.”
Requirements of the Form
Form
– Fourteen lines – No spaces between ‘stanzas’ – Lines contain enjambment (see above for brief definition)
Content
– Occasional, political, and religious subjects – Unlike other sonnets, does not have a distinct volta (also known as a pivot) after the eighth line
Meter
– Iambic pentameter (ten syllables per line, unstressed-stressed pattern).
Rhyme
– First eight lines (octave): abbaabba – Preceding six lines (sestet): often cdecde, but variable
An Original Miltonic Sonnet
The viral imagine haunted every screen– A photograph too horrid to ignore: A pair of bloated bodies on the shore. In Congress followed yet another scene Of bickering and washing white-hands clean. No older than The Virgin when she bore The Savior that they claim to so adore, The budding mother wonders what they mean. As children hungry, dirty, sick and scared Are torn away and locked in concrete halls Lay weak with worry, overwhelmed with fear, The value of their lives is weighed and tared; As Washington debates the costs of walls, Who dares to speak of Christ’s compassion here?
Notes on My Original Sonnet
I challenged myself to write a sonnet that was true to the Miltonic themes of politics, religion, and current events, and found in the issue of immigration a combination of all three. The line “children hungry, dirty, sick and scared” was taken from this BBC News article and served as the fulcrum of this poem.
The Magic 9 form is a newer form with uncertain origins (though one website states it was created by Divena Collins). The idea for the rhyme scheme is rumored to have sprung from the rushed misspelling of the famous incantatory exclamation: abacadabra!
Structure of the Magic 9 Poem
Requirements of the Magic 9 form:
– Comprised of a single nine-line stanza
– Must follow the rhyme scheme: abacadaba
– No restrictions on line length, meter or subject matter
Tips and Techniques
One way to get started is to make a list of end words.
To do this form correctly you’ll need: – 5 a end rhymes – 2 b end rhymes – 1 c end word – 1 d end word
Determine what kind of end rhymes you’d like to use. Click here for a handy guide on the different rhyme types used in poetry.
First try single-syllable end rhyme words, and then expand to two or even three-syllable words. Consider how these changes feel and how each possibility resonates within the structure of the form.
Now brainstorm around your favorite end rhyme clusters, looking for meaningful ways to bring them together.
Keep it loose at the beginning and let the creativity flow. Your internal editor is not allowed in this free-flowing creative space, so don’t stop to judge or think too critically–that’s what revision is for.
An Original Magic 9 Poem
The Stargazers
Away from the glare of the city’s light, We follow the firefly’s flash. Abandoning the screens that so narrow our sight, We trace the heavens for our favorite constellations. With galaxies and gods, all going ’round in our flight, We lay down our blanket in a hidden patch of prairie. In this brilliant darkness, our vision’s set right, As the dazzling meteors slash Across the impossible night.
Not much is known about the origin of this form, but it’s possible that the Diminishing Verse form that we know today evolved from the classic triplet, and there is some evidence to suggest this (more on that here). All triplets consist of a three line stanza (commonly referred to a tercet), as do many Diminishing Verse poems. But where a classic triplet features a distinct rhyme scheme, the Diminishing Verse form has a more interesting–and challenging–way of creatively manipulating the last word of each line.
The Incredible Shrinking End Word
The key unique feature in a Diminishing Verse poem is the manipulation of the last word in each line, in a diminishing fashion. I did find some variation on where the emphasis should be placed within the end word itself. In one variation, emphasis is placed on the vowel sound of the end word, making the challenge to decrease the number of preceding consonants while maintaining the vowel sound (flair/rare/air). Another variation offers less flexibility, asking the poet to remove initial letters of the word without any other changes to spelling (heat/eat/at). A poem of this kind might read:
If you can stand the heat And you can’t wait to eat The kitchen is where it’s at
Nearly all of the contemporary examples I could find focused on this second emphasis, and this was the basis for my own experiments.
Other Notes On Structure
Beyond the above-mentioned end word requirements, there are very few formal restrictions in this form: – No rules for syllable count, line length, rhyming, poem length, etc. – Stanzas can be of any length, but tercets are most common. This is mostly due to the strict end word requirements and the natural constraints those requirements impose.
Tips and Techniques
Reverse-engineering your poem by starting with a cluster of usable end words may be the most fruitful way to get started in this form.
I began by making a list of possible end words in sets of three (if you can up with more, take it as far as you like!). Starting with the smallest word (usually one consisting of two or three letters) and working backwards by adding one or two letters at the front may make this easier. Even with only 3 lines, you’ll be surprised how limited your options really are.
When selecting your end words, watch out for affixes (kind/un-kind) and compound words (bee/honeybee) that modify the meaning of a word, but signify nearly the same thing. They may not make for good poetry.
Once you’ve made your list, pick out some of your most intriguing word clusters for further development.
Two Original Diminishing Verse Poems
The Riots of Spring
As the thunder churns, as the lightning cleaves, The nestlings cower in the quaking leaves; The spider’s web quivers beneath the eaves.
But soon the red fox will doze in the clover; The monarch will settle on its yellow-petaled lover; The riots of spring will be over.
Daily News
He dreads The daily news–he only reads The ads.
Bonus Challenge! Diminishing Verse…in Reverse
If you add one or more letters to the beginning of the end word of each previous line (instead of subtracting), you get Diminishing Verse’s opposite: the Culminating Verse poem!
An Original Culminating Verse Poem
Tart
The art In eating a tart Is knowing when to start.
Astra Poetica 