Trichain

The Trichain is a poetry form created by Lisa La Grange, writing on Allpoetry.com.

A Trichain is:

  • Stanzaic: Consisting of 3 or more quatrains.
  • Metered: Each quatrain consists of 3 lines of iambic tetrameter and one line of iambic trimeter.
  • Rhyme Scheme: aaab cccb dddb …

La Grange’s Example

La Grange’s Example

Form: Trichain

Beautiful Mystery

At times the heart is plagued by pains
that bind like cold corroding chains;
it seems the torment never wanes
and nothing brings respite.

But then amidst oppressive fears
and cold depression’s streaming tears,
the mystery of love appears,
exuding dulcet light.

And then the chains of grief and woe,
are melted by its crimson glow
and misery is forced to go;
defeated by delight.

For love obliterates the gloom
of shadows that appear to loom.
They fade in beauty’s brilliant bloom
as flames of hope ignite.

My Example

Form: Trichain

The Girl and the Toad

While down a rustic path I strode
I chanced upon a tuckered toad,
who’d stopped still sitting in the road,
which seemed a dangerous place.

He let me take him in my hand
and when I spoke, it was unplanned;
I did not think he’d understand
although that seemed the case.

Within my head I heard a sound,
a mellow voice that did confound;
the toad, the only one around
was staring at my face.

“You are as pretty as they come
so sitting here was not so dumb,
If you will kiss me I’ll become
a prince with charm and grace.”

© Lawrencealot – July 5, 2015

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15-10 Alternating Poetry Form

A poem where 15 syllable stanzas which begin with an anapest foot and having couplet rhyme

alternate with 10 syllable iambic stanzas with cross rhyme.

Rhyme Pattern: aabb cdcd

(aabbccdd), 16 lines or more, alternating line length

 

I first saw this used by Jeff Green but have no idea if is already a name form.

 

Example Poem

Constitutional Deficiency

 A democracy cannot endure when gimme people learn
that they can persuade their reps to confiscate what others earn.
This was first proclaimed by Tytler, then Alexis de Tocqueville
The right to direct one’s earnings is in fact what makes one free.

My liberal friends think as I once did,
that government should cure whatever’s wrong.
I recognized my error as a kid.
Someone must pay the piper for his song.

 We’ve had only one elected man at top who truly tried
to impede the juggernaught we’ve wrought but could not hold the tide.
To defend our nation, use its strength to minimize abuse
are enough, but power wants more growth and leaps to find excuse.

The Tytle Cycle must run its full course.
Our try died not from faulty prior design.
We’ll work for masters like the noble horse.
The blame my friends is really yours and mine.

© Lawrencealot – Feb. 7, 2013

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Flung

This form was created by Larry Eberhart, aka, Lawrencealot on allpoetry.com
Type: Stanzaic
Meter: Tetrameter or Pentameter
Presented as two or more Octaves
Rhyming pattern: ababcccc ddeeffff
If the poem is extended it should continue alternating couplet and cross rhyme
for the first quatrain of each octave.
Example Poem
What Happened to George?
“A gastropod mollusk is what I am,”
said George to his host. “And I have long found,
that being submerged (if you give a damn),
is sometimes better than up on the ground.
If I get too dry I might desiccate,
then I’d be dinner for you and your mate,
but now I can slime noxious stuff you’ll hate.
But I’ll feed you for life if you just wait.”
The beetle had thought, this slug he’d deceived.
Now he did not know what should be believed.
“The farmer’s intending a toxic plan
to kill us all– perhaps he just began.”
I need a mate who’s many rows away.
I cannot get to her within one day.
You can go fetch her, I’ll tell you the way,
Then both of us will in your burrows stay.
The beetle knew two was better than one.
If there’s an option for unending food
instead of foods poisoned– had it begun?
he’d best collaborate with George the dude.
Both slugs were omnivorous slugs you see,
So George deigned to explain how it will be.
You’ve heard tuna called “Chicken of the Sea.
Well Chicken of ground shall be Joyce and me.”
In days some thirty eggs from George’s mate.
produced the protein for the beetles plate.
The beetle got smart and let some eggs hatch.
It just meant they’d have more earthworms to catch.
The beetles Kentucky Fried Sluggets sold
like heaters in Vermont when it gets cold.
The farmers profits jumped about two-fold,
Explain? That bright slug George, he just grew old.
© Lawrencealot – March 3, 2013
This poem answers the following question by Sir Mike bike
Get me a wheelchair!” Cried the sick bug,
“For I have no legs (because I’m a slug!)
A very nice beetle all dressed in bright black,
Said “Never mind slug just jump on my back…..”
The slug (quite determined to get a free ride)
Now dumped common sense and he now dumped all pride,
He slid on the beetles back with such ease,
Said ”Take me to market as quick as you please!”
Now the beetle pretending hard to be nice,
Said “Certainly sir, there’ll be no price!”
“But first I have to visit my mum,
You can come too my little chum!”
So down it the ground where black beetles gorge,
Went poor Mr. Slug (whose name was George)
He never more was seen again…..
Pray what happened….can you explain?
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Gratitude

This form was Created by Victoria Sutton aka Passionspromise
It consists of two or more 8 line stanzas, each with the
refrain rhyming scheme of  ababcCab
with ONLY the “c-rhyme” requiring the same sound each stanza.
There is NO metric or line length requirement, EXCEPT that
lines 5 and 6 are shorter than the others.
Example Poem
A Gift to Poets (Gratitude)
A lovely poet gave to me this form.
She said, “Take it. Perhaps you’ll find a way
to specify the path to keep it warm.”
The specs I saw were loose enough to sway
a poet to invent
and follow mind’s intent.
I’ve chosen Iambs, you need not conform.
I’m grateful this form let’s the poet play.
I first thought “Torylet” could be the name,
but “toilet” sounds too close for me so now,
while sitting here, this new idea came.
I’ll name it, “Gratitude” in note of how
the poet may select his bent
and follow mind’s intent.
My next attempt shall be a whole new game
for many variants this will allow.
© Lawrencealot – November 5, 2012
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La’Tuin

The La’Tuin, a poetic form created by Laura Lamarca, consists of 4-line stanzas with an ‘abca, abca‘ rhyme scheme that is consistent throughout each stanza. Stanzas 2, 3 etc. must all follow the same rhyme sounds as the first stanza. With the first stanza being repeated again at the end of the piece (Refrain). It contains a minimum of 4 stanzas, with no maximum length limit.
A strict syllable count of 9/8/9/8 is required per stanza.
In-Depth Explanation of rhyme:
Lines 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16 etc., all rhyme – this is the ‘a’ rhyme.
Lines 2, 6, 10, 14 etc, all rhyme – this is the ‘b’ rhyme.
Lines 3, 7, 11, 15 etc, all rhyme – this is the ‘c’ rhyme.
The La’Tuin is named after A’Tuin, a giant turtle from the Diskworld series. A turtle is a symbol of Mother Earth. La is Laura Lamarca’s signature.  Rhyme scheme: A1BCA2abca…A1BCA2.
Example Poem
Many Ladies-in-Waiting   (La’ Tuin)
While wives of King Henry were waiting
Their turn to be axed or booted,
they had to abhor his penchant for
extracurricular mating.
Except for queen Kath’rine, the grating
was less, their auditions suited,
the king’s volition.  He wanted, more
of those young ladies-in-waiting.
Kath’rine loved Henry, while awaiting
her end, yet strongly refuted,
his demands.  I’m the queen, evermore!
…That seems as history’s weighting.
While wives of King Henry were waiting
Their turn to be axed or booted,
they had to abhor his penchant for
extracurricular mating.
© Lawrencealot – April 9, 2012
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La'Tuin LaFemme

This form created by Lawrence Eberhart, aka Lawrencelot
It is an altered version of the La’Tuin form to facilitate feminine rhyming.
The La’Tuin, a poetic form created by Laura Lamarca, The La’Tuin is named after A’Tuin, a giant turtle from the
Diskworld series. A turtle is a symbol of Mother Earth. La is Laura Lamarca’s signature.
It contains a minimum of 4 stanzas, with no maximum length limit.
A strict syllable count of 9/8/9/8 is required per stanza.
It has abac rhyme consitent through-out the stanza.
Lines 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16 etc., all rhyme – this is the ‘A’ rhyme.
Lines 2, 6, 10, 14 etc, all rhyme – this is the ‘B’ rhyme.
Lines 3, 7, 11, 15 etc, all rhyme – this is the ‘C’ rhyme.
Therein lies it’s structural weakness. By requiring that the  9 syllable lines rhyme with 8 syllable lines,  if the poet choose iambic (or trochaic) meter it disallows a more natural and pleasing feminine rhyme.        
The improved rhyming scheme of the La’Tuin LaFemme is:
A B A2 C   abac  abac  …  AB A2 B C, (ABA2Cabac…ABA2C)
Example Poem
More Ladies-in-Waiting
The wives of Henry were all waiting
Their turn to be axed or booted
while extracurricular mating
was Henry’s favored night-time sport.
Except for queen Kath’rine, the grating
was less ironically suited,
for the others all been creating
their turns by schemings at the court.
Kath’rine loved Henry, while awaiting
her end, but strongly refuted,
his claims, yet without denigrating
him.  Majestic was her support.
The wives of Henry were all waiting
Their turn to be axed or booted
while extracurricular mating
was Henry’s favored night-time sport.
(c) Lawrencealot – April 9, 2012
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la2lafemme

Wrapped Refrain Style 2

Wrapped Refrain (Form No. 2), created by Jan Turner, carries some similar aspects as her Wrapped Refrain form, with further advanced techniques. It consists of 2 or more stanzas of 8 lines each, with the following set rules:
Meter: 14/14/8/8/8/8/14/14
Rhyme Scheme: aabbccdd.
Refrain rule: In each stanza, the first 10 syllables in the first line (incorporating a phrase) must be the last 10 syllables at the end of the last line (line #8).
Example #1:
Castle in the Clouds
Bavaria, you render dreams come true on hills of white.
Your castle glints through moonbeams, snowy spires in the night.
My mind says it’s just a mirage
or nature playing with collage…
that if I turn around I bet
it shall just disappear, and yet
my eyes instead see parapets that break the skyline blue,
as straight ahead, Bavaria, you render dreams come true.
Bavaria, your Disneyland is mine this very night;
it’s just as if your castle planned its setting, out of sight,
for some of us to stumble on.
But, if I blink will it be gone?
This castle you have hid so well
enchants me with its magic spell;
it lures me into fantasies en-wrapped with snowy pine.
You render dreams, Bavaria… your Disneyland is mine.
Copyright © 2009 Jan Turner
Pasted from <http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/wrappedrefrain2.html>
My example poem:
Consumption Gumption  (Wrapped Refrain style 2)
Folks of different cultures do of course feel differently.
I’d rather have them eat a horse instead of eating me.
A measure of degree again
for horses are almost our kin.
They’re friends and assets with great worth
They’ve carried us and toiled the earth.
Man’s climb from darkness was aided by the dog and the horse.
Eat them? No, but folks of different cultures do of course
To preclude cannibalism of course I’d eat a beast
who also soon would die, but it would be a sorry feast.
Moral questions now spring to light–
Is eating sentient things alright?
Natures template seems not to care.
Strong eat the weak most everywhere.
It’s easy to eat “thoughtless” things but not our friend the horse–
unless required to preclude cannibalism of course.
© Lawrencealot – Febrary 13, 2013.
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Redondilla

NOTE:I have included the definition from two different sources here.  The first specifies the minimum number of quatrains, the 2nd does not.
The 2nd requires that the meter be TROCHAIC, the first is indifferent.
Well, boys and girls – indifferent wins.  I spent some time on 5 different sites and found NOT ONE trochaic poem in English, and several that did not have FOUR STANZAS.
This is simply a poem consisting of four quatrains in tetrameter, preferably iambic  or trochaic.  The rhyme scheme can be aabb, abab, or abcb.  (Although some sources will advise otherwise, syllable count is secondary to rhythmic flow).  Most descriptions do not mention meter.  I have found in the English language most use Iambic and any rhyme scheme, even mixing them.  (An insult, in my way of thinking.)
redondilla, a Spanish stanza form consisting of four trochaic lines,
usually of eight syllables each, with a rhyme scheme of abba.
Quatrains in this form with a rhyme scheme of abab,
sometimes also called redondillas, are more commonly known as serventesios.
Redondillas have been common in Castilian poetry since the 16th century.
The word is derived from the Spanish redondo, meaning “round.”
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/494744/redondilla
Example Poem
Tropical Storm (A Redondilla or a Serventesio )
Surging currents falling rain
cloudy grey and gasping sky.
Seabirds leaving, wonder why.
Season of the hurricane.
Board your windows stock your shelves
Candles, girlfriend, water, food,
Stranded people making feel good.
Living, loving, by ourselves.
“Mom and pop are coming too??”
“Having to evacuate!”
“Gosh and gee that’s really great.”
“Your folks too? Least we could do. ”
Moms crochet by candle light,
dads play cards and guzzle beer.
You and I with bed in here
writing poems day and night.
(c) Lawrencealot – July 24, 2012
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Written in footless trochaic tetrameter.