Gardenia

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 Gardenia is a verse form that focuses on the amphibrach like the Fialka only in shorter lines. Created by Viola Gardner.

The Gardenia is:
○ a decastich (10 line poem) made up of 5 couplets.
○ metered, amphibraic dimeter (2 amphibrachs)
○ rhymed, aabbccddee.
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

Players (Gardenia)

The fellow’s a schemer
his girl-friend’s a screamer.
They’re raising pug puppies
to sell to young yuppies
or dandies with money
who smell not too funny.
They also sell gators
and raise red tomaters
Since nothing disgusts them
I doubt you can trust them.

© Lawrencealot – September 12, 2014

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