Tag Archives: 8/7/8/7

Séadna Mheadhanach

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Séadna mheadhanach is:
○ the same as the Séadna.
○ except the 1st and 3rd lines of the quatrain are 3 syllable words and the 2nd and 4th lines are 2 syllable words.

x x x x x (x x a)
x a x x x (x b)
x x x b x (x x c)
x b x c x (x b)

Syllabic Silliness
by Judi Van Gorder

When writing verse be attendant,
confidant in the stillness
with syllable count dependant,
drill and chant shunning shrillness.

Pasted from Poetry Magnum Opus, with thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on this fine PMO resource.


My Example

Form: Séadna Mheadhanach

2nd Childhood

Observe how gramps does emulate
what kids create in youthful
wonder at almost everything.
He thinks that time is fruitful.
That youth he’d yearn to peculate
this late in lifetime’s reserve
because there’s something wonderful
in whatever they observe.

© Lawrencealot – January 21, 2015

Visual Template

Séadna Mòr

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Séadna (shay’-na) is Gaelic for passage.The Séadnas are dan direach or direct meter forms which alternate syllable count from line to line. They are Celtic or ancient Irish Verse Forms, written with cywddydd (harmony of sound) and dunadh (ending the poem with the same word, phrase or line with which the poem began). Séadna (named for its main character.) is also an old Irish folktale by Peadar Ó Laoghaire (1839-1920), published in 1904 which is a favorite for beginning readers of Gaelic and is not written in verse.

• Séadna Mòr (shay’-na mor) stanza is:
○ the same as Séadna.
○ except L2 and L4 end in three-syllable words instead of monosyllable words.
x x x x x x (x a)
x a x x (x x b)
x x x b x x (x c)
x b x c (x x b)

And The Winners are . . . by Barbara Hartman

Cliff-swallows careen in between
twin pillars of portico.
Flights ferry mud balls for cement
— birds’ descent blights bungalow.

Gourd-shaped nests sprout out from stucco,
constant chatter — tremolo.
Smears and splatters on walls defy
hose. “Please don’t,” cry cliff-swallows

Pasted from http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=1168#mheadhanach
My thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on this fine PMO resource.

Specifications restated:
Séadna Mòr (shay’-na mor) stanza is:
written in any number of quatrains.
syllabic 8-7-8-7.
written with L1 and L3, 2 syllable end words; L2 and L4, 3 syllable end words.
rhymed. L2 and L4 end rhyme, L3 rhymes with the stressed word preceding the final word of L4.
composed with alliteration in each line, the final word of L4 alliterating with the preceding stressed word.
The final syllable of L1 alliterates with the first stressed word of L2.

My example

No Sale Buk (Forn: Séadna Mòr )

Inflated by boldness assumed,
and consumed and debated
by some sycophants who perceived,
perhaps wise wit created.

Overrated, you have stated,
Yes I still sit unsated.
His sad self-promotion fizzled
and found him not inflated.

© Lawrencealot – January 19, 2015

Visual template

Seadna Mor

Séadna (shay'-na)

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Séadna is:
    1. written in any number of quatrains.
    2. syllabic 8-7-8-7.
    3. written with L1 and L3, 2 syllable end words; L2 and L4, 1 syllable end words.
    4. rhymed. L2 and L4 end rhyme, L3 rhymes with the stressed word preceding the final word of L4. There are two aicill-rhymes in the second couplet.
    5. composed with alliteration in each line, the final word of L4 alliterating with the preceding stressed word. The final syllable of L1 alliterates with the first stressed word of L2.x x x x x x (x a)
      x a x x x x b
      x x x b x x (x c)
      x b x c x x b

Many thanks to John Clitheroe for his work on the PoetsGarret site.

Séadna (shay’-na):
A quatrain stanza of alternating octosyllabic lines with disyllabic endings and heptasyllabic lines with monosyllabic endings. Lines two and four rhyme, line three rhymes with the stressed word preceding the final word of line four. There are two cross-rhymes in the second couplet. There is alliteration in each line, the final word of line four alliterating with the preceding stressed word. The final syllable of line one alliterates with the first stressed word of line two.
B x x x x x (x a)
x x x x x x b
x x x x c x (x c)
x b x c x x B
Caring for the watercolor
I find you looking at me there
Blush to white palor, dim valor,
Thus, where its blue core had found care.
Kathy Anderson
Example poem
Fight on Poet
Fight on against fear of failure;
cure your weary will and fright.
Pursue dreams; ignore cause killing
themes, write– winning thrilling fight.
(c) Lawrencealot – July 4, 2012
Visual Aid
  
This is my 2nd attempt to write specs for this form.  It is without a doubt the most demanding poetry form I have encountered.  Since it is not possible to make a template that is much more than the equivalent of house plans on a napkin, handed to an architect…I have included the check list I referred to repeatedly while writing this one verse poem.
Besides being overly challenged for a long while; I chose a one verse poem so I could demo the Line 4 2nd word rhyme, and the first-last unity.
Enjoy…this form will help fight off dementia.