Tag Archives: 24 lines or more

Gregory's Refrain – (Gregi)

By | | ,
Comments Off on Gregory's Refrain – (Gregi)
This is a poetry form invented in 2008 by Gregory James, writing on Allpoetry.com as Psydewaystears
The poem is Stanzaic, consisting of three or more octets.
Syllable: 8/7/8/7/7/7/7/7
Rhyme: ababxcxc
Refrain: Lines  5 through 7, first four syllables
The Refrain is required for the majority of the stanzas.
Meter:  long lines generally: Anapest,Iamb,Anapest  (da da DUM da DUM da da DUM)
                             Other lines: Anapest,Iamb,Iamb         (da da DUM da DUM da DUM)
Note: These specifications were derived and interpreted by myself, and the meter particularly is not hard and fast, but serves only as the normal guideline.
Example Poem
When the task you have before you
seems too large for just one man
just remember there’s one more view
to describe your total plan.
Do a little bit right now
Do a little more today
Save a little for tomorrow
it’s more doable that way.
When your tea’s much too hot to drink
you don’t throw it all away,
you just wait a while I would think.
come back later, it’s okay.
While you’re waiting check your mail,
While you’re waiting make a call,
While you’re waiting tidy up.
Oh, that tea– you’ve drunk it all.
When the trellis stands starkly bare
though it wants to be embraced
it just waits, and does not despair.
and soon vines will kiss its face.
The vine pushes through the earth.
The vine pushes up the wall,
The vine pushes every day,
up the trellis proud and tall.
While the Mona Lisa looks fit,
I hear Leonardo deigned
it unfinished, he never quit
in the doing much was gained.
Just do part of what you figure
is the task ahead of you
even though you never finish
when you’re done the job is through.
© Lawrencealot – August 28, 2013
Visual Template

Quaintrell

By | | , , ,
Comments Off on Quaintrell
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

Slide Ballad

By | | ,
Comments Off on Slide Ballad
This form was invented by Larry Eberhart, aka, Lawrencealot 
and dedicated to Victoria Sutton, aka, Passionspromise, inventor of the Slide Sonnet.
Slide Ballad consists of 6 or more quatrains in common meter
Rhyme pattern
xaxa
xbxb
xcxc
xdxd
xaxa
xbxb
xcxc
xaxa

The rhyme of first stanza to be repeated every fifth stanza, and as the final stanza,
Only the a-rhymes must rhyme in each stanza
Where the a-lines in the final stanza are made up of segments from
the preceding a-lines, see template and example
 
Feminine rhyme is permitted as exception to common meter.
(This is mainly and exercise form, without much to recommend it.)
Example Poem
Soldier   (Slide Ballad)
There was nowayhe’d fail to join
the fight, and stay and play
while others wore the uniform
and gave their lives away.
His parents’ view, was fearful but,
all hoped he’d make it through.
His Margie said “You’ll come back, Joe,”
I’ll wait until you do.
The war ground on, relentlessly,
’til many friends were gone.
Some missing limbs went home.  Some stayed,
interred ‘neath foreign lawn.
Joe suffered grave injuries twice,
from those who would enslave.
He returned to fight each time – saying,
“It’s not because I’m brave.
I want to stay until we win,
We shall ,I hope and pray.
I cannot set aside my role
while evil still holds sway.
He was the last left living now
behind the lines when fast
advancing  enemy took charge,
and then the battle passed.
‘Twas only he the farmer found
a live, but bound to be
a corpse if left. The farmer cared
with quiet dignity.
Another year elapsed; he healed,
and hid and helped them clear
their crops,  He learned some French and learned
the end of war was near.
There was no way to thank his friends
who’d risked their lives that way.
I’ll fetch my Marge, then we’ll return;
We shall ,I hope and pray.
  © Lawrencealot – January 8, 2013
Visual Template