Category Archives: Metric

Fifteener

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This form was introduced to AllPoetry and promoted by Jeff Green, aka Crickenjeff.
I find references to the fifteener as being a very old poetic form, but with no specifications as to meter or rhyme.  Jeff’s form requires lyrical meter and couplet rhyme.  You may choose any meter and rhyme pattern.
The meter of a fine tertius fifteener is like this:
diddy-DUM-di diddy-DUM-di diddy-DUM-di diddy-DUM
It is quite addictive meter, much more complex than the rest
With it’s triple tertius paeons followed by an anapest.
 
Example Poem
Play? Bawl? (Fifteener)
The most talented of poets had all gathered at the meet,
they had traveled from afar on this occasion to compete.
When the master from olde England asked for anapestic verse,
or for tertius combinations, which I figured would be worse,
like a quakin’ asp I shivered for just iambs give me pause.
Though my mentor’s shoulders shrugged, “You won’t be breaking any laws
but the caliber of poet, especially at the top
all deserved their invitation, you won’t want to pen a flop.”
With that ringing non-endorsement I was tempted then to pass,
when I thought of all the heroes who had struggled to the last;
While the wisps of nighttime zephyrs then pushed random thought a way,
I remembered all the champions who down, still chose to play.
It was time for this young poet to show all that he was stout.
‘Cus the ball game isn’t over until Casey’s bat strikes out.
© Lawrencealot – September 23, 2013
Here is a Visual Template:
 

7/5 Trochee Poetry Form

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The 7/5 Trochee, created by Andrea Dietrich,
of 2 or more quatrain stanzas ( 8 lines or more)  with the following set rules:

Meter:  Trochaic
Syllabic: 7/5/7/5
Rhyme Scheme:  abcb or abab

The meter is trochee, which means alternating stressed and
unstressed beats in each line, with each line beginning and
ending in a stressed syllable. This is a simple lyrical type|little poem, so rhymes will be basic, nothing fancy.

The poem itself should give a description of something of interest to the poet.

There is not a set number of these quatrain type stanzas,

but a typical 7/5 Trochee would consist of two quatrains,

with the second stanza serving to tie up the idea presented in the first stanza.

Pasted from <http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/75trochee.html>

 Example Poem

Nap

Sleeping eight hours every night
Seems to some divine.
Choosing such is quite their right.
Just don’t make it mine.

 I will sleep that much or more.
taking smaller blocks.
For in afternoon I snore
Even wearing socks.

 
© Lawrencealot –  June 19, 2012
Visual Template
 
 

Catalectic Verse

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A catalectic line is a metrically incomplete line of verse, lacking a syllable at the end or ending with an incomplete foot. One form of catalexis is headlessness, where the unstressed syllable is dropped from the beginning of the line.
Making a meter cataletic can drastically change the feeling of the poem, and is often used to achieve a certain effect. Compare this selection from Book III of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “Song of Hiawatha” with that from W. H. Auden’s “Lay Your Sleeping Head, My Love”. The first is in trochaic tetrameter, and the second in trochaic tetrameter catalectic (or headless iambic tetrameter).
By the shores of Gitche Gumee,
By the shining Big-Sea-Water,
Stood the wigwam of Nokomis,
Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis.
Dark behind it rose the forest,
Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees,
Rose the firs with cones upon them;
Bright before it beat the water,
Beat the clear and sunny water,
Beat the shining Big-Sea-Water.
–H. W. Longfellow
Lay your sleeping head, my love,
Human on my faithless arm;
Time and fevers burn away
Individual beauty from
Thoughtful children, and the grave
Proves the child ephemeral:
But in my arms till break of day
Let the living creature lie,
Mortal, guilty, but to me
The entirely beautiful.
–W. H. Auden
Pasted from <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalectic>
Example Poem
Sheila sought the solace soon of Sam.
Harlots’ hearts were hardened oft by men.
See, most men just didn’t give a damn.
Sam loved legs and thighs and thighs again.
Sam, at four-oh-four did tip the scale.
Sheila weighed a bout one half of that.
She was standby fill-in piece of tail.
Sailor boys last night had called her fat!
Sam said,” Shiela you are just right size.
You’re the only woman here with thighs.”
© Lawrencealot – May 22, 2012

Chatushka

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A Russian Quatrain form. The name derives from the Russian meaning ”to speak fast”. Covering subject that range across the whole human experience and written in a manner that is usually satirical, ironic or humourous this is the Russian equivalent to theLimerick.
 
Form Type:           Metrical
Origins:                 Russian
Creator:                Unknown
Number of Lines:  4
Rhyme Scheme:  a,b,a,b or a,b,c,b or a,a,b,b
Meter:                   Trochaic Tetrameter
 
 
Rules
1. The form is composed of a single quatrain, though often they are placed together with others in a string, in either case each quatrain is a complete self contained unit.
 
2. The most common rhyme scheme is a,b,a,b though a,b,c,b is also fairly common. The a,a,b,b rhyme scheme is fairly rare.
 
3. The form is written using trochaic tetrameter. Though it is common to use catalectic final feet in a line giving a strongly stressed ending.
 
4. Content wise Chastushkas cover all subjects, though the style is usually satirical, ironic or humourous, tending towards lewd,
 
5. Traditionally they are recited to music, if they are in a string then there is a musical interlude between them to give the audience time to laugh.
 
6. Often they are composed on the spur of the moment and used in contests, such Chastushka are highly prized.
 
Pasted from <http://bensonofjohn.co.uk/poetry/formssearch.php?searchbox=Chastushka> 

Get Back Chicken
Chicken, get back; don’t peck me
For the cleaver in my hand
Just think, could be, soon chopping thee.
Dinner captured, cleaned and panned.
 
© February 16, 2012
Dane Ann Smith-Johnsen
 
Written for Poetry Soup Member Contest: Chastushka Form-Russian Poetry 
 
 
Example Poems 
 
Three Chastushkas 
 
Mabel’s clothing at their feet
under chairs and kitchen table.
Freddy focused not on neat,
Freddy merely wanted Mabel. 
Scribbled thoughts upon a napkin
Serve as plans of grand intention.
Dreams without an active effort
freeze in idle cold suspension.
Anxious Arabs show misgiving
watching western people living.
letting females speak their voices
countermanding masters choices. 
 
© Lawrencealot –  January 23, 2013 
 
 
 
Visual Template
 
Actually not one of each, I omitted abab!

Intramirroral

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This is a form invented by Mark Andrew J Terry of Allpoetry.
These are the requirements of this form:
Rhyme Pattern: aabb 
Meter: None specified.
Isosyllabic – Each line must have the same number of syllables.
Minimum poem length: 4 lines, no maximum.
Couplet One:
Every word in the first line should rhyme with the corresponding word in line 2
Except for one word; those words must have contrary meanings, but same syllable count.
It can be expanded as far as you wish.
These are the requirements for a Sestet:
Rhyme Pattern: aabbcc

Meter: Optional.
Couplet One::
Every word in the first line should rhyme with the corresponding word in line 2
Except for one word; those words must have contrary meanings, but same syllable count
Following couplets:
Ends with mirrored rhyme, but also has internal rhyme
Example Poem
Party Time
Alluring tart proffering wile.
Demurring lass deferring guile.
Bewitching twit assures relief.
Enriching wit insures belief.
No way to stay the party game.
I’ll try to buy the hearty dame.
© Lawrencealot – May 27, 2012
Visual Template
Intermirroral

Paulo Ludibrium Comitatu

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Paulo Ludibrium Comitatu (Little Toy Train), created by Lawrencealot
      Patterned after the Paulo Comitatu.
The form consists of one or more octaves where the 1st and 5th lines
are Iambic Trimeter with and extra unaccented syllable
da DUM  da DUM  da DUM da (Technically two iambs and an amphibrach)
The remaining lines are proper Iambic Trimeter
Rhyme Pattern: xaba xcbc
Example Poem
Waiting for Her Backwoods Pilot
She sat there by the window
and watched the falling rain.
Her mind went to the past
she hummed a sweet refrain.
He traveled through the forest
with cautious stealth and dread.
Alone and failing fast,
he’d crashed and should be dead.
(c) Lawrencealot November  11, 2012
Visual Template

Quaintrell

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This form was created by Allpoetry’s D.D. Michaels , aka midnightblue
 A poetry form consisting of 3 or more Octets,
with the 8 lines of each Octet having the following syllable count:
8/8/8/6/8/8/8/6, that is to say Iambic Tetrameter in lines 1/2/3/ and 5/6/7,
and Iambic Trimeter in lines 4 and 8.
The rhyme scheme is as follows: aa(b/b)c dd(e/e)c
That means that in the Quatrain of the Octet, lines 1 and 2 rhyme, in line 3 there is an internal with the end-word,
and line 4 rhymes with line 8 in the following Quatrain of the Octet.
Example Poem
Ode to the Quaintrelles
The Dandizettes pre-dated me.
But, I applaud them, they seemed free.
It almost seems they lived their dreams
They stressed by dress, their charms.
In finery these Danizettes
May frequently have been coquettes
They liked to play and found their way
to wealthy fellows’ arms.
At first some thought them fancy whores,
Bedecked and primed for nighttime chores
and they were spurned, yet they soon earned
respect for charm and grace.
From Europe came their finest clothes
to showcase first;  their standing rose.
Each girl would show the cultural glow,
with happy smiling face.
Equivalent today subsumed
by Hollywood pretense consumed
by any twit though lacking wit
who wants to look the part.
Quaintelles did more than copy styles.
they flaunted them and with their smiles
said okay guys, we are the prize.
They did it with their heart.
© Lawrencealot – April 30, 2012
Author’s Notes
A quaintrelle is a woman who emphasizes a life of passion expressed through personal style, leisurely pastimes, charm, and cultivation of life’s pleasures. Quaintrelles share the philosophical underpinnings of dandies, developed within feminine nature and styles.   They were also called dandizettes.
Visual Template

Trois-par-Huit

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The Trois-par-Huit is a short eight line poetic form that is striking and fun to play with.
This form was created by Lorraine M. Kanter
and goes by a few other names as well, the Octa tri and the Three by Eight just to name a couple.
The structure of the Trois-par Huit is easy to compose as it only has three stanzas of 3,3,2 or 3,2,3, lines which can be decided on your own personal taste.
As with many forms the Trois-par-Huit has a syllable count: 3/6/9/12/12/9/6/3.
Rhyme scheme: aabbbccc.
The last line of the poem should be the title of the piece
and should summarize what the poem is about.
Example Poem:
Finish Forms
Quench my thirst.
The unknown  is the curse.
I must scour pages of AP sages
Find their every form though it may take me ages.
Then if they keep inventing… put  them in cages.
In cases where changes come in swarms
document  all the norms.
Finish forms.
© Lawrencealot – April 21, 2012