The Form Poetry Thread (no it doesn't all rhyme)

Senna Jawa said:

A modern example is tenos. I have created it on 2007-03-18, see my poem:

tenos -- an example in Polish​

There are four stanzas:

3+3+3+4 = 13
​

The rhyme scheme is:
a x a // b x b // a x a // b a b a

where lines x do not rhyme.

A friend of mine (who has authored hundreds of sonnets) liked my tenos hence he himself wrote a bunch of them.

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I'll give it a go if I may as long as it doesn't have to be in Polish

butters said:

you have fixed form and open form poetry. but it still has to be poetry, with careful use of poetic devices such as word-choices/line-breaks/beats/musicality etc..., and not some rambling mess that still calls itself poetry. unfortunately, there's a whole bunch of that stuff submitted and printed up on the main site under the guise of 'poetry'.

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When I've said to people before that line breaks does not a poem make, I've been told it's prose poetry and I let it go but think to myself Well no it's not even that, I've read prose books that are a lot more poetic than you!

UnderYourSpell said:

I'll give it a go if I may

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Great!

as long as it doesn't have to be in Polish

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Not in Polish?!?!

Ok, Ok, since we are friends for such a long time. Go for it, I'll look forward to it.

PS. You see of course what does the name "tenos" signify?

Roundelay

I'm not a praying person, dear
with this new and fragile passion,
any misconstrued line can tear,
so my love check how you fashion
everything although you care,
for losing you's my biggest fear.
.
Any misconstrued line can tear,
so my love check how you fashion
till I'm strong that you are near
and I no longer must refashion
everything although you care,
for losing you's my biggest fear.
.
Till I'm strong that you are near
and I no longer must refashion
for I adore your writing flair,
Not all mine and you must ration
everything although you care,
for losing you's my biggest fear.
.
For I adore your writing flair,
not all mine and you must ration
what I receive while waiting here,
Pity me and show compassion
my everything is that you care,
then losing you I'll never fear.

UnderYourSpell said:

I'm not a praying person, dear
with this new and fragile passion,
any misconstrued line can tear,
so my love check how you fashion
everything although you care,
for losing you's my biggest fear.
.
Any misconstrued line can tear,
so my love check how you fashion
till I'm strong that you are near
and I no longer must refashion
everything although you care,
for losing you's my biggest fear.
.
Till I'm strong that you are near
and I no longer must refashion
for I adore your writing flair,
Not all mine and you must ration
everything although you care,
for losing you's my biggest fear.
.
For I adore your writing flair,
not all mine and you must ration
what I receive while waiting here,
Pity me and show compassion
my everything is that you care,
then losing you I'll never fear.

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I really liked this, Annie. I think you did the form proud (it's an easy form [in the sense of a lot of repeated lines] but hard [in the sense of making all that repetition make sense]).

More importantly, it's a poem that speaks to real emotional issues.

And the thing rocks tetrameter.

Well done.

Tzara said:

I really liked this, Annie. I think you did the form proud (it's an easy form [in the sense of a lot of repeated lines] but hard [in the sense of making all that repetition make sense]).

More importantly, it's a poem that speaks to real emotional issues.

And the thing rocks tetrameter.

Well done.

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Sorry only just seen this. Thank you very much, I'm glad the emotion came through, it was meant for someone

A Lilibonelle

I have known you fifteen years,
friends, not even close at that.
I'm not quite sure why it was
we took the time to sit and chat.

Friends, not even close at that,
maybe the gods made stars align,
something, somewhere saw a need
and love stepped in and made you mine

I'm not quite sure why it was
that we should even strike a spark,
for I was low and lay in pain,
you brought a rainbow to my dark.

We took the time to sit and chat,
my heart took over, soared and flew
to a place I've never been before.
The spark aflame, burns strong for you

bumpety bump

I hope we can try a Ghazal challenge. If you're like me and don't mind bending the rules somewhat to make your poem better (I know Annie that you think I thumb my nose at rules lol), they are fun to write!

Angeline said:

I hope we can try a Ghazal challenge. If you're like me and don't mind bending the rules somewhat to make your poem better (I know Annie that you think I thumb my nose at rules lol), they are fun to write!

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Goodness me, you're psychic I was just reading today about the rules being broken these days when writing a Ghazal!

GHAZAL: Pronounced something like "Ghuz-awl," the Ghazal began simply as rhyming romantic poems, with an average of seven couplets, where the couplets (two-line stanzas) were united more by meter and rhyme, rather than by content. Each couplet was self-contained, and the two lines were of a similar length from couplet to couplet. The original Persian form, still popular in Iran, India and Pakistan, usually had between five and twelve couplets, with the name of the poet signed as part of the final stanza.

Although still succinct in form, contemporary Ghazals no longer usually rhyme, poets no longer sign their names in the last stanza, and the poems are no longer exclusively about love or drinking. All that remains of the original form seems to be long-lined couplets, usually on mystical topics, and the idea that the independent couplets of a Ghazal need not be unified in concept or theme. Any Ghazal you enter in a Sol competition should carefully follow contest instructions, and:

1) be titled
2) have seven stanzas (seven couplets)
3) use similar meter in line one and line two of each stanza, but not necessarily be the same from stanza to stanza
4) introduce new ideas in each stanza
5) use long lines
6) not use rhyme
7) not include the poet's name in the last stanza
8) not be about love or drinking

Notice in the following example, each couplet loosely follows the theme of "Speaking for the Earth," but each one is about a different aspect of that theme.

EXAMPLE:

From Fields, From the Tops of Mountains, Day On Night, Earth Speaks

High noon, midsummer flood roars day on night
upsurging the field, uprooting the tree.

Out of nowhere, a drought has scorched the land
flat bits of dead cells in wind--far as an eye can see.

Buried in soil, poison chemicals linger for decades
dispersed from rivers and runoff into the sea.

Wide as that first morning light, immunity breaks down
disease and other problems plague the earth: you and me.

Saving the rainforest means saving its ecosystem
and so will begin balance rising steadily.

The layer of stratospheric ozone, high above Antarctica, leaks
micron by micron into mid-air.

Of time and weathers, a future life on down into centuries
depends on knowledge, and that perfect service of ecology.

Betty Ann Whitney, Wesley Chapel, FL, USA

For more about this form, see "The Teachers and Writers Handbook of Poetic forms," edited by Ron Padgett.

bumpety bump

Help Me Rondeau

The essence of Rondeau is rhyme
as space is circumcised by time,
yet rhyme alone is nor enough
for line and meter can’t be rough
to craft your poem line by line.

The second stanza helps refine
the heart of your poem sublime
and make your lover gasp “hot stuff!”
The essence of Rondeau.

At last to sestet, do we climb
verse which does your poem define
so let not fear your pen handcuff
press on, your scoffers to rebuff.
Now for your opus, bells will chime.
The essence of Rondeau.

Piscator said:

The essence of Rondeau is rhyme
as space is circumcised by time,
yet rhyme alone is nor enough
for line and meter can’t be rough
to craft your poem line by line.

The second stanza helps refine
the heart of your poem sublime
and make your lover gasp “hot stuff!”
The essence of Rondeau.

At last to sestet, do we climb
verse which does your poem define
so let not fear your pen handcuff
press on, your scoffers to rebuff.
Now for your opus, bells will chime.
The essence of Rondeau.

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Applause! I'm always in awe of poets that can write a poem's explanation within it!

UnderYourSpell said:

Applause! I'm always in awe of poets that can write a poem's explanation within it!

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Thanks Annie, alough a free verse, aficionado, I am beginning to twig that the regular structure and rhyme of many forms especially those from the 1500's and before are a great aid to composing, remembering and reciting poetry.

Curtailed

His memory is beginning to fade
there are moments when he forgets her name
though they’ve been married for thirty-five years.

Through it all she maintains a bright charade
because she knows, there is no one to blame
her fears.

Sometimes he speaks of moments long ago
frayed fragments dredged from time’s jumbled arrears
of people and places they once did know.

In that brief moment, their love together glows
through tears.

Piscator said:

Curtailed

His memory is beginning to fade
there are moments when he forgets her name
though they’ve been married for thirty-five years.

Through it all she maintains a bright charade
because she knows, there is no one to blame
her fears.

Sometimes he speaks of moments long ago
frayed fragments dredged from time’s jumbled arrears
of people and places they once did know.

In that brief moment, their love together glows
through tears.

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Oh dear now you've made me cry, that's what I'm living now.

UnderYourSpell said:

Oh dear now you've made me cry, that's what I'm living now.

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I'm sorry to hear that - handing you a virtual handkerchief.

I know it isn't easy having seen it with my father-in-law and mother-in-law. And now both my mother and mother-in-law are showing signs.

I can only agree
it's heartbreaking to see
when one's world falls apart
frustrated with that stiff leg
afraid of becoming weak and unsmart
grumping about words that lack
...
but I've seen sunshine too
a break from the carousel of thoughts
tears blooming into smiles, laughs
making plans for the next day or two
it's heartwarming to see
I hope you agree

Pandemic Pantoum

In this pestilential year time forgot
behind maskless faces false facts hold sway,
it’s hard to write nice, when our world is not
what should a poet in quarantine say?

Behind maskless faces false facts hold sway,
while plague is loose and climate still warming
what can a poet in quarantine say
no one cares about daffodils charming.

While plague is loose and climate still warming
yet best science alerts go unheeded
no one cares about daffodils charming
at this time, transformation is needed.

When best science warnings are not heeded
it’s hard to write nice, when our world is not
for this time, transformation is needed
in this pestilential year time forgot.

Two Triolets:

Canterbury
It is a shame to see so much lost to a vandal
Trashing our heritage, wrecking our city
Crushing our pride with the tourist’s sandal.
It is a shame to see so much lost to a vandal
Developer by title but the result is a scandal.
The worst by our own, more’s the pity.
It is a shame to see so much lost to a vandal
Trashing our heritage, wrecking our city.

Oyster
Whitstable trades on the oyster’s fame
As it was when the Romans declined
And fell. Across the sea the enemy came.
Whitstable trades on the oyster’s fame
Supplying nobles and peasants the same.
Smacks almost left to history’s mind
Whitstable trades on. The oyster’s fame
As it was when the Romans declined.