Englyn proest gadwynog én-glin proyst ga-doy-nóg cadwyn or (chain of half-rhyme), the 8th codified Official Welsh Meter, an Englyn, is verse that employs both alternating full rhyme which half rhymes with the alternating full rhymes. To complicate things further no half rhyme may occur within the lines.
The englyn proest gadwynog is:
• stanzaic, written in a chain of quatrains.
• syllabic, 7 syllable lines.
• rhymed, each line half rhymes with the next line and fully rhymes with the next. L1 and L3 fully rhyme with each other, L2 and L4 half rhyme with the rhyme of L1 and L3 and should fully rhyme with each other. The full rhymes of L1 and L3 half rhyme with the full rhyme of L1 and L3.
• chained, the last word of the stanza begins the next stanza.
x x x x x x A
x x x x x x a
x x x x x x A
x x x x x x a
a x x x x x B
x x x x x x b
x x x x x x B
x x x x x x b
Kael or war koler euraid
Karw Edwart mewn kaer ydwyd
Kael o ebolion lonaid
Kann ystabl yt, kwnstabl wyd.
— Dafydd Nanmor
Warrior Woman by Judi Van Gorder
Desired by all who’ve seen
the royal fighting woman,
Gweneviere the Warrior Queen,
behold, King Arthur’s chosen.
Chosen from the very best
appearing out from the mist
stand beside him in his quest
join Camolot’s wedding feast.
Feast of victory and peace
lady takes her rightful place
in time see injustice cease
royals joined in married bliss.
The Desert Palm by Stephen Arndt
Like an upright spine, your trunk
Grows as straight as any plank
And, with roots so deeply sunk,
Towers upwards, lean and lank.
Lank as well, your long, green leaves,
Ranged in spirals, spend their lives
Capping a crown that receives
But rare drops of rain, yet thrives.
Thrive serene in heartless heat,
Poised upon your peaceful height;
See us speed our hurried feet,
Watch us flee in hasty flight.
Flight or fight of little ants
Scrapping over scant amounts—
Thus must seem our frantic dance
When you total our accounts.
Pasted from http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=980
My thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on this fine PMO resource.
My example
Write One of These (Englyn proest gadwynog)
When words, well just sorta rhyme,
wait for even lines to roam.
Make odd lines rhyme true this time.
For both this old form has room.
Room exists to spread your wings,
consonate if you’d rather
I have tried most all these things
but can’t seem to get better.
© Lawrencealot – December 11, 2014
Related Welsh Form are HERE.
Visual template
Rhyme Scheme: aaaa bbbb where red letters indicate half rhyme.
