Duni

Pathways for the Poet by Viola Berg (1977) is a book for and by educators. Classic poetic forms as well as many invented forms which appear to have been invented as teaching tools or exercizes for use in workshops or classrooms are included. Some of these invented forms I have found in use in internet poetry communities, a testament to their staying power. On this page I include the metric invented forms found there in which appear to be exclusive to the community of educators from whom Ms. Berg drew her support. I have yet to find these in any other source. …. Whether classroom exercise or sharpening your skill as a writer, some of these forms can be fun to play with.

• The Duni has a complicated metric pattern and includes a pivot or change of thought in L6.  Created by Mildred Dewey. 

The Duni is:
○ a heptastich, 7 line poem.
○ metered, 
L1 1 dactyl followed by 2 trochees and an Iamb 
L2 3 iambs
L3 a trochee followed by an anapest and 2 iambs
L4 3 iambs
L5 3 iambs
L6 4 iambs
L7 1 iamb, followed by an anapest and an iamb
○ composed with a pivot or change of thought in L6.
○ rhymed, rhyme scheme abcacba.

Pasted from http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=1199#dionol
My thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on this fine PMO resource.

My example

Selective Perception Advised (Duni)

Paying attention makes lots of sense.
It’s socially astute.
Notice your wife’s nails or her French-braid
and she’ll take no offense.
But man, I’d be afraid
to note another’s wife is cute.
Observing that’s somewhat dense.

© Lawrencealot – September 9, 2014

Visual template

Duni

Snapshot

This is an invented form created by Mary Boren, aka Meter_Maid on Allpoetry.

It is a poem of 7 lines
It is metrical, requiring several specific metrical feet, to wit:
L1: A pair of spondees
L2-3: Dimetrical dactylic couplet plus a hard beat at the end
L4-5: Anapestic dimeter, not rhyming with each other
L6: Anapestic trimeter, rhyming with L4
L7: Anapest. amphibrach, or iamb, which may, but is not required to rhyme with L5
It is formulaic, requiring a person’s name in either line 2 or 3.
It is themed:
 ” to capture a person’s unguarded moment, breaking stereotypes.”  I’d like to somehow convey that the task is to zoom in on descriptive details that plant a distinct concrete image, preferably an unexpected one.  You could almost say it has a volta at L5, as it catches something a camera would miss.  
It is rhymed with rhyme pattern: xaabzbz, where “z” lines may rhyme or not.

My Example

Just Notions  

Think long, think wrong!
Lawrence R. Eberhart thought
thinking of things he was taught
would most surely reveal
at least one salient fact
he was wrong all along on that deal
looking back.

© Lawrencealot – August 23, 2014

Note: This poem fails to be a Snapshot lacking the apparently candid moment required by the theme.

Try this one:

Neighborly Chat  (Snapshot)

Stop, look, think back.
Shoveling snow from the walk
Jerry MGee stopped to talk
with the girl from next door
he’d forgotten her name,
but remembered her shape from before,
quite a dame.

© Lawrencealot – August 23, 2014

Visual Template

Snapshot
Note: Several options exist for L7.

Swinburne 7776

This is an octain form patterned on Algernon Charles Swinburne’s “Before Dawn.”

I simply named this form after it’s syllable pattern since Swinburne created several distinct octave forms.

It is:

Stanzaic: consisting of any number of octains.

Metered: Iambic Trimeter.

Rhyme pattern: aaabcccb, where only the b-rhymes are masculine.

Before Dawn by Algernon Charles Swinburne

SWEET LIFE, if life were stronger,

Earth clear of years that wrong her,

Then two things might live longer,

Two sweeter things than they;

Delight, the rootless flower,

And love, the bloomless bower;

Delight that lives an hour,

And love that lives a day.

From evensong to daytime,

When April melts in Maytime,

Love lengthens out his playtime,

Love lessens breath by breath,

And kiss by kiss grows older

On listless throat or shoulder

Turned sideways now, turned colder

Than life that dreams of death.

This one thing once worth giving

Life gave, and seemed worth living;

Sin sweet beyond forgiving

And brief beyond regret:

To laugh and love together

And weave with foam and feather

And wind and words the tether

Our memories play with yet.

Ah, one thing worth beginning,

One thread in life worth spinning,

Ah sweet, one sin worth sinning

With all the whole soul’s will;

To lull you till one stilled you,

To kiss you till one killed you,

To feed you till one filled you,

Sweet lips, if love could fill;

To hunt sweet Love and lose him

Between white arms and bosom,

Between the bud and blossom,

Between your throat and chin;

To say of shame—what is it?

Of virtue—we can miss it;

Of sin—we can but kiss it,

And it’s no longer sin:

To feel the strong soul, stricken

Through fleshly pulses, quicken

Beneath swift sighs that thicken,

Soft hands and lips that smite;

Lips that no love can tire,

With hands that sting like fire,

Weaving the web Desire

To snare the bird Delight.

But love so lightly plighted,

Our love with torch unlighted,

Paused near us unaffrighted,

Who found and left him free;

None, seeing us cloven in sunder,

Will weep or laugh or wonder;

Light love stands clear of thunder,

And safe from winds at sea.

As, when late larks give warning

Of dying lights and dawning,

Night murmurs to the morning,

“Lie still, O love, lie still;”

And half her dark limbs cover

The white limbs of her lover,

With amorous plumes that hover

And fervent lips that chill;

As scornful day represses

Night’s void and vain caresses,

And from her cloudier tresses

Unwinds the gold of his,

With limbs from limbs dividing

And breath by breath subsiding;

For love has no abiding,

But dies before the kiss;

So hath it been, so be it;

For who shall live and flee it?

But look that no man see it

Or hear it unaware;

Lest all who love and choose him

See Love, and so refuse him;

For all who find him lose him,

But all have found him fair.

Pasted from <http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/before-dawn-7/>

My example poem

Putting Decorum Before ‘Em (Swinburne 7776)

I turned and saw you staring
and knew you were comparing
my dress with girls more daring
than shyness lets me be.
Some say my clothes are fusty,
well it’s because I’m busty
and seem to make men lusty
when there’s too much to see.

While I’m too shy for posing
and chesty flesh exposing
I find myself supposing
that I could test the guys.
I’ll lean across the table
like Greta did with Gable
and see if you are able
to look me in the eyes.

© Lawrencealot – July 31, 2014

Visual Template
Swinburne 7776

Rustavelian Quatrain or Shairi

Shairi, or Rustavelian Quatrain
Shota Rustaveli wroteThe Knight in the Panther’s Skin, Georgia’s national epic, towards the end of the twelfth century. It tells of a young prince helping to find a friend’s beloved, who has been captured by devils. Rustaveli used a particularly difficult form for it, known by the Georgian word shairi
The recommended rules for English-language shairi are: 4-line stanzas, with all four lines rhyming with one another. The lines are unusually long, having 15 or 16 syllables, and all the rhymes are of either two or three syllables.  
Note for purists
In Georgia, each line of a shairi has exactly 16 syllables, and they recognise two varieties of the form. In a magali (high) shairi stanza the syllables divide 4/4//4/4 (in each of the four lines), whereas in a dabali (low) shairi they divide 5/3//5/3. InThe Knight in the Panther’s Skin (or Vepkhis Tqaosani, if you prefer), Rustaveli alternated magali and dabali stanzas for the entire length of the poem – no fewer than 1576 stanzas. 
© Bob Newman 2004, 2005. All rights reserved.

My thanks to Bob Newman for his wonderful resource above.

Restated specifications:
Stanzaic, quatrains, mono rhyme, multi-syllabic rhyme

 Example Poem
 
 Redirected Feelings     (Rustavelian Quatrain)
 
She faced each day with deep desires- that seemed to her distressing.
Her husband’s morally correct, and counts his wife a blessing 
and’s careful to avoid an act that might call for confessing, 
and sadly that means he won’t watch his pretty wife undressing. 
 
His attitude left her in doubt that her looks were appealing. 
So secretly she bought some clothes- the kind that are revealing, 
then once each week would flash to men the charms she’d been concealing. 
To watch men stare at cleavage bare, aroused in her warm feelings. 
 
She soon could not deny the rush- the moist and warm sensation- 
so weekly outings multiplied; then there was escalation. 
Her exhibition soon became a road to fun flirtation,
a road she knew was but a path, a path to her damnation. 
 
She told herself, “This path is wrong! I’ll stop, what I’m inviting. 
I’ll find a hobby stay at home although that’s less exciting.” 
She switched her gears, and it appears, more people she’s delighting, 
She’s famous now, and satisfied with her erotic writing.
©Lawrencealot – February 28, 2014

Visual Template (15 syllable option)

 

Short Measure

Meter: Iambic trimeter, EXCEPT line three which is iambic tetrameter
Rhymed: xaxa xbxb …
 
 
Short Measure or Short Meter, is:
  • stanzaic, written in any number of quatrains. When written in octaves doubling the short measure quatrains, the verse form is called Double Short Measure.
  • metered, most often L1, L2, L4 iambic trimeter, L3 is iambic tetrameter.
  • rhymed, Rhyme scheme xaxa xbxb etc x being unrhymed.
  • called Poulter’s Measure when consolidated into 2 lines.
My thanks to Judi Gorder for creating the wonderful resource above.
Example Poem
Audition      (Short Measure)
The teacher greeted her,
the girl with hair in bun.
She wrote his lectures in a book,
as though his words were fun.
At work she did her job,
and filled the bosses cup.
Her brightness and congenial help
seemed never to let up.
In church she sat with legs
so primly crossed, and hands
reclining folded in her lap,
decorum church demands.
With me she is alive
and dresses to entice.
She shows some cleavage and some thigh,
the both of which are nice.
I’m looking seriously.
and want not just a tart.
her looks had hooked and reeled me in,
her mind got her the part.
   © Lawrencealot – January  6, 2013
Visual Template
 

KyRenn

This form was created by Kylie Routley, aka KyRenn on Allpoetry.
It consist of six quatrains, each set of three having only two rhymes.
Verse one and two being mono-rhyme, and verse three being alternating or cross rhyme.
Specifications not confirmed on meter and line length.
Be consistent.
A six stanza, mono-rhyme form with the following
Rhyme Scheme: aaaa bbbb abab cccc dddd cdcd
 
 Example Poem
 
Form a Study Group (KyRenn)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In lieu of study I chased skirts, 
Could not resist a girl that flirts. 
In life’s a meal they were desserts. 
Their pheromones are my alerts.
When any girl would wish to play, 
she knew she’d get this guy’s okay. 
If there’s  a party – right this way,
just hurry, hurry, ándale.*
My education, this subverts, 
this frivolity on display. 
I think to change, but mind reverts- 
Exciting curves!  Enticing sway!
I’d never cause a girl to fret 
or leave my presence with regret 
or leave them wanting on a bet 
should their own appetite be whet.
If fun is mutual and fair 
and drug abuse you do not bear 
just seize the joy while it is there 
for when you’re eighty you won’t care.
If on the way a mate is met
and each excites each anywhere, 
that is as good as things can get, 
so marry her and homework share.
© Lawrencealot – July 4th, 2013
 
 
  * The term ándale is variously used in Mexican slang to mean come, or okay, or finally.
 
 
Here is a Visual Template 
for an Iambic Tetrameter version:
 
 
 
 

Jue Ju

Storyline(jue ju)
This is Chinese style poetry
jue ju—– the curtailed or frustrated verse, does not mean to tell a story but to create a mood. It does in the most frugal way imaginable, and with a high tone. The impression one gets is much like that from a symphony orchestra where a solo instrument takes up the theme. A jue ju has only four lines of five or seven syllables each.
Jue Ju (curtailed or frustrated verse) is one of the oldest of the Chinese patterns and in the 3rd century AD the Jue Ju was very popular. It often carried “suggestively erotic themes”. It does not tell a story but attempts to create a mood.
The basic rhythmic unit of Chinese poem is the single character (zi), which is pronounced as one syllable. In English the word represented by the character might be more than one syllable. Originally the Jue Ju was composed in 5 character lines. By the Tang era, 8th century it had evolved to a 7 character pattern and became fundamental to Chinese poetry.
The Jue Ju is:
  • metered, 5 or 7 character or word lines. (lines should be same length)
  • composed of 4 lines.
  • often erotic.
  • compared to Western poetry could be considered terse and compressed. 
    秋月 () 
    清溪流过碧山头,空水澄鲜一色秋;
    隔断红尘三十里,白云红叶两悠悠。Autumn Moon by Cheng Hao translated by Xiao-zhen aka worm, Nov 6,2009
    Over green hills a limpid brook flows
    Sky mirrored in the water of autumn hue
    Away from the distant earthly world
    Maple leaves and velvet clouds leisurely float
    “The Autumn Moon, a seven-character-‘cutshorts’ (jue ju), was composed by an ancient Chinese poet Chen Hao (1032–1085), a philosopher of Northern Song Dynasty. No line of the poem touches the autumn moon, but it shines every line.” ~~Xiao-zhen aka worm
     
    pillow woman by judi Van GorderRaven strands of silk tangle
    and spread over her pillow.
    With soft eyes, pleasure waits
    white curves stretch upon futon.
Thanks to Judi at PMO.
Example Poem
Steady breathing warms my neck
laughing at winter’s cold assault.
My thighs touching your curves;
winter coldness overcome by warmth.

Katuata


Introduction
Japanese poetry seems to be gaining greater and greater popularity with Western poets. The much abused Haiku of course has worn the brunt of this assault by everyone from first year poetry teachers and students, to Microsoft and office jokes, but serious poets recognise that this little poem is a truly remarkable art form. The Tanka is also gaining in popularity and rightly so and both of these forms will be dealt with later. Before dealing with these two forms however, there are two other Japanese forms which in my opinion should be discussed, and may interest poets looking for something different. The first form is called the Katuata, and the second the Choka.
Katuata.
The Katuata originally consisted of a poem consisting of 19 sound units or onji, (in the west we would describe this as having a syllable count of 19).
There was a break after the fifth and twelfth onji and this would give us a form structure of. 5 – 7 – 7.
Later poets also wrote using only 17 onji and this gave a form structure of 5 – 7 – 5.


Pasted from http://www.thepoetsgarret.com/Challenge/choka.html#katuata> 
Thanks to the Poetsgarret!




• Katuata, (片歌, side poem or half poem) is emotive verse. Intuitive rather than logical; the katuata asks a sudden question or makes an emotional statement and then responds to it. This is a stand alone, 3 line poem, however it is often written as a side poem to the renga. This dates back to 8th century Japan found in the Manyõshú (the oldest collection of Japanese poetry)

Katuata is:
○ syllabic, 19 syllables or less.
○ usually a tercet. 5-7-7. This can also be reduced to a 5-7-5 syllable count if desired.
○ emotive not necessarily logical. 

lost in haze of doubt 
thoughts of you fog my vision 
will mist clear? in due season 
— Judi Van Gorder

Pasted from http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?/topic/1139-katuata-mondo-sedoka/> 
Thanks to Judi Van Gorder of PMO

Example Poem

wanting your embrace
wondering are you awake?
yes sweet I am now

Raconteur

This is a new refrain poetry form invented by Elizabeth Reed, aka Silverechoes on Allpoetry.
The form is made up of 13 lines – two six-line stanzas and one final line. The two stanzas tell the majority of the story, and the first line of the second stanza should serve as the inspiration for the title (though not required). The last line will be a restatement or rephrasing of the first line of the second stanza. Rhyme scheme and corresponding syllable counts are as follows:
a (8 syllables)
b (9 syllables)
C (10 syllables)
a (8)
b (9)
C (10) (uses same word as line 3 for end-line rhyme)
D (8)
e (9)
F (10)
d (8)
e (9)
F (10) (same end word as line 9)
D (8 OR 10 syllables) (same end word as line 7)
In the rhyme pattern indicated by abCabCDeFdeFD, the lines indicated with capitals contain word refrains.
Example Poem
 
We Missed the Dance
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“Does my old cowboy hat look fine?”
you asked me just as we were leaving.
I turned and looked, and ran into the door.
“Well dear, I d say you look divine,”
“What hat?”-  My eyes were they deceiving?
There were those pokey things that I adore.
“If we perchance can miss the dance
and settle later just for dining
I think I’d rather stay at home instead
exploring signs of our romance
which we can do while we’re reclining.”
With that she led me to our bed instead..
And so we once again have missed the dance.
© Lawrencealot – September 10, 2013
(Notice: Being rebellious, I chose phonic identity, instead of absolute identity in choosing the “C” refrain.

dandizette

Dandizette form created by discoveria of Allpoetry.com
3 six line stanzas
the form is partially inspired by the villanelle, and features a tricky repetition of four refrain lines in the final stanza.
the syllable count for the first twostanzas  is  8/6/8/8/6/8.
The last stanza has lines of  6/6/6/6/8/8 syllables.
The rhyme scheme is ababcb cbcdcd bcbcee. (ababcbcbcdcdbcbcee)
The final stanza is composed of lines 2, 5, 8, 11 from the previous two stanzas, plus a concluding rhyming couplet.
Where they reappear in the last stanza, the four repeated lines should make sense together as well as making sense where they are first used. Meter is optional.
Example Poem
Beneath the Dancing Lights  (Dandizette)
Every fellow  here wants first dance.
She is a lovely tease
though proper for a girl from France.
With her shape she does dress to please
with bodice cut so low.
‘Twould be a thrill to watch her sneeze.
Tonight the breeze will lightly blow
outside beneath the trees
the lights will swing and sway as though
they are dancing too.  As on stage
in dancing lights she’ll glow.
She’ll attract men of any age.
She is a lovely tease
with bodice cut so low.
Outside beneath the trees
in dancing lights she’ll glow.
She will light up many man’s life.
And she’ll tick off many a wife.
(c) Lawrencealot – March 2, 2012
Visual Template