The following description and example are reposted with permission from Poetry Magnum Opus, with thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on that fine resource.
Toddaid, todd-eyed is the 19th codified Welsh meter, an Awdl, and an uneven couplet often written in combination with other meters especially the 9 syllable couplet, cyhydedd hir.
The elements of the Toddaid are:
- stanzac, written in any number of couplets.
- syllabic, L1 is a 10 syllable line and L2 is a 9 syllable line.
- rhymed, the main rhyme aa – cc – dd etc.
- composed with gair cyrch following the main rhyme and caesura of L1. The gair cyrch end rhyme is echoed in the first half of L2 in secondary rhyme, assonance or consonance.
- sometimes written in a shortened version of 16 syllables, L1 is 10 syllables and L2 is only 6 syllables which is called a toddaid byr.
| toddaid couplets x x x x x x x A – x b x x x x b x x x Ax x x x x x x C – x d x x x d x x x x ca toddaid byr coupletx x x x x x x A – x b x x x b x A | Nit digeryd Duw, neut digarat – kyrd Neut lliw gwyrd y vyrd o veird yn rat; Neut lliaws vrwyn kwyn knawlat— yghystud O’th attall Ruffudd gwaywrud rodyat. Einion 15th century |
| Shere Kahn by Judi Van Gorder The young calico keeping cool – eases slow as she pleases upon the stool . Her Bengal bones live nine lives – daring dogs, chasing frogs, tiger dreams, kitten thrives. |
My Example
Form: Toddaid
Embellished
She wore a steampunk hat and bra – and shoes
She couldn’t lose; she was held in awe.
She was cocooned in metal ware – of course.
a visual force men would touch with care.
© Lawrencealot – February 2, 2015
Visual Template
