Tag Archives: Berg

Troisieme

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The following description is reposted with permission from Poetry Maqnum Opus, with thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on that fine resource.

The Troisieme is a verse form introduced by Viola Berg. The content is broken into 4 parts, an introduction in the 1st tercet, an expansion in the 2nd tercet, a parallel or contrast in the 3rd tercet and a summary or conclusion in the couplet.The structural elements of the Troisieme are:

  1. stanzaic, written in 3 tercets followed by a couplet.
  2. syllabic, 3-5-7 3-5-7 3-5-7 9-9  syllables each.   
  3. unrhymed.

    It’s Finally Here

    Holidays
    have turned the corner,
    the Christmas season begins.

    Ornaments
    boxed with care last year,
    unpacked and hung on the tree.

    Twinkling lights,
    and red bows adorn
    garland strung around the room.

    Candy canes and shaped sugar cookies
    fresh from the oven for you and me.
                                         ~~Judi Van Gorder

My Example

Form: Troisieme

Promised Ascension

Man alone will plot against his kind
because of words one man deemed were true.
They promote a life beyond this realm.

Dismiss all logic! Faith overcomes!
The next life counts promises much more.
Believe those words and your pain dissolves.

That others think those words are fiction
marks them somehow as threats deserving
Your enmity lest you come to doubt.

The plots and counter-plots marred reality
and placed our morality below the wolf.

© Lawrencealot – February 5, 2015

Zenith

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Pathways for the Poet by  Viola Berg (1977) is a book for and by educators. Classic poetic forms as well as many invented forms which appear to have been invented as teaching tools or exercizes for use in workshops or classrooms are included. Some of these invented forms I have found in use in internet poetry communities, a testament to their staying power. On this page I include the metric invented forms found there in which appear to be exclusive to the community of educators from whom Ms. Berg drew her support. I have yet to find these in any other source… Whether classroom exercise or sharpening your skill as a writer, some of these forms can be fun to play with.

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• Zenith is a stanzaic form with meter and line length left to the discretion of the poet. It was introduced by Viola Berg.

The Zenith is:
○ stanzaic, written in any number of sixains.
○ meter at discretion of poet.
○ rhymed, abcabc defdef etc.

Pasted from http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=1199#dionol
My thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on this fine PMO resource.

My example

Debt Forgiveness

Debt Forgiveness (Zenith)

Alice made a bet
the gun wasn’t loaded
picked it up to look.
Skipped out on that debt
when the shell exploded
so she’s not upset.

© Lawrencealot – September 30, 2014

Picture source: kimoutloud.com

Visual Template
There really can be no definitive template
For meter and line-length is a the poet’s discretion.

Zenith

Virelet

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Pathways for the Poet by Viola Berg (1977) is a book for and by educators. Classic poetic forms as well as many invented forms which appear to have been invented as teaching tools or exercizes for use in workshops or classrooms are included. Some of these invented forms I have found in use in internet poetry communities, a testament to their staying power. On this page I include the metric invented forms found there in which appear to be exclusive to the community of educators from whom Ms. Berg drew her support. I have yet to find these in any other source. …. Whether classroom exercise or sharpening your skill as a writer, some of these forms can be fun to play with.

• The Virelet is an invented variation of the French Virelai and was introduced by Viola Berg.

The Virelet is:
○ stanzaic, written in any number of quatrains.
○ isometric with a stanzaic frame of long/short/long/short lines set by the first stanza. The actual metric length and pattern of the alternate lines is at the discretion of the poet.
○ rhymed, interlocking rhyme abab bcbc cdcd etc.

Pasted from http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=1199#dionol
My thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on this fine PMO resource.

My example

I Would Have, Sure (Virelet)
(inspired by Amera’s “How to Get Pregnant”

She’ll be a mom
and she knows who’s the dad.
It wasn’t Tom,
or Dick or someone bad.

Though many lad
would likely like to claim
that they had had
relations with that dame.

None could you blame
for lusting after her
but all the same,
she waited to be sure.

© Lawencealot -September 29, 2014

Visual Template

Note: This is illustrative only, the lines can be of any two consistent lengths.
Virelet

Trillium

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Pathways for the Poet by  Viola Berg (1977) is a book for and by educators. Classic poetic forms as well as many invented forms which appear to have been invented as teaching tools or exercizes for use in workshops or classrooms are included. Some of these invented forms I have found in use in internet poetry communities, a testament to their staying power. On this page I include the metric invented forms found there in which appear to be exclusive to the community of educators from whom Ms. Berg drew her support. I have yet to find these in any other source… Whether classroom exercise or sharpening your skill as a writer, some of these forms can be fun to play with.

• The Trillium is an invented verse form, a pentastich with long and short lines.

The Trillium is:
○ a pentastich, a poem in 5 lines.
○ metric, iambic, L1 & L5 are trimeter and L2 – L4 are catalectic, hexameter.
○ rhymed, abbba.
○ because L2-L4 are catalectic they will have feminine endings.
xx xx xa
xx xx xx xx xx b
xx xx xx xx xx xb
xx xx xx xx xx b 
xx xx xa
Pasted from http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=1199#dionol
My thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on this fine PMO resource.

My example

21st Century Schooling (Trillium)

To teach to youth I know
it helps to present single facts as lyrics
and not as theories, notions esoteric,
avoiding nuances, and themes satiric.
Indoctrinate them though.

© Lawrencealot – September 28, 2014

Visual template

Trillium

Stellar

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Pathways for the Poet by Viola Berg (1977) is a book for and by educators. Classic poetic forms as well as many invented forms which appear to have been invented as teaching tools or exercizes for use in workshops or classrooms are included. Some of these invented forms I have found in use in internet poetry communities, a testament to their staying power. On this page I include the metric invented forms found there in which appear to be exclusive to the community of educators from whom Ms. Berg drew her support. I have yet to find these in any other source. …. Whether classroom exercise or sharpening your skill as a writer, some of these forms can be fun to play with.
 

The Stellar is an invented stanzaic form framed in octaves and introduced by Viola Berg

The Stellar is:
stanzaic, written in any number of octaves.
metric, iambic L1-L4, & L8 are tetrameter, L5 & L6 are catalectic pentameter and L7 is dimeter.
rhymed, ababccdd efefgghh etc.
because L5 &L6 are catalectic, they have feminine endings.
 

 
Pasted from  http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=1199#dionol
My thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on this fine PMO resource.

 My example

 

Succinct (Stellar)

Expanding to ad nauseam
on anything at all my friend
upsets folks and soon you’ll see ’em
just anxious for the talk to end.
Kids forced to read by educator,
long epics, – did, but came to hate her.
Don’t write a tome
If you want poems read at home.

© Lawrencealot – September 28, 2014

Visual template

Stellar

Sacred Signia

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Pathways for the Poet by Viola Berg (1977) is a book for and by educators. Classic poetic forms as well as many invented forms which appear to have been invented as teaching tools or exercizes for use in workshops or classrooms are included. Some of these invented forms I have found in use in internet poetry communities, a testament to their staying power. On this page I include the metric invented forms found there in which appear to be exclusive to the community of educators from whom Ms. Berg drew her support. I have yet to find these in any other source. …. Whether classroom exercise or sharpening your skill as a writer, some of these forms can be fun to play with.
• The Sacred Signia is an invented verse form is a decastich. Introduced by Viola Berg.
The Sacred Signia is:
○ a decastich, a poem in 10 lines.
○ metric, L1,L3,L5,L7-L10 are iambic pentameter and L2,L4,L6 are iambic dimeter.
○ rhymed, rhyme scheme ababcbccaa.
Pasted from http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=1199#dionol
My thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on this fine PMO resource.

My example

Her Eyes
Her Eyes (Sacred Signia)

Her eyes compel, intrigue, and they entice.
I feel controlled
at ease, yet seeking solace and advice.
I dare be bold,
when lifted by her steady knowing gaze
There is no cold
within those eyes, they’re warm and quite ablaze –
intelligent and able to appraise.
The magic’s broad and strong and yet, concise,
I need no more to know for sure she’s nice.

© Lawrencealot – September 24, 2014

Visual template

Sacred Signia

Rosemary

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Pathways for the Poet by Viola Berg (1977) is a book for and by educators. Classic poetic forms as well as many invented forms which appear to have been invented as teaching tools or exercizes for use in workshops or classrooms are included. Some of these invented forms I have found in use in internet poetry communities, a testament to their staying power. On this page I include the metric invented forms found there in which appear to be exclusive to the community of educators from whom Ms. Berg drew her support. I have yet to find these in any other source. …. Whether classroom exercise or sharpening your skill as a writer, some of these forms can be fun to play with.

• The Rosemary is an invented verse form that uses envelope quatrains. It was introduced by Viola Berg. 

The Rosemary is:
○ a poem in 12 lines, made up of a rhymed couplet, 2 envelope quatrains followed by a rhymed couplet.
○ metric, iambic pentameter.
○ rhymed aabccbdeedff.
○ L4,L5 and L8,L9 are indented.

Pasted from http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=1199#dionol
My thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on this fine PMO resource.

My example

Specificity

Specificity (Rosemary)

I wandered as I walked and wondered where
I was today, and did I even care??
Like Jack “none” Reacher twixt his many tasks*
My days unfolded just by circumstance
and if you met me it would be by chance.
I seldom answered questions that were asked.
I hitch-hiked here, and don’t know where here is.
I’m somewhere where I’ve never been before,
and glancing see a sign above a door.
It posts the proper answer to the quiz.
The letters, boldly printed make it clear;
they proudly make the point that “You are Here.”

© Lawrencealot – September 22, 2014

*Jack (no middle initial) Reacher is a protagonist in Lee Child novels that I cannot resist.
Photo taken by ea of allpoetry.com

Visual template

Rosemary

Repete

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Pathways for the Poet by Viola Berg (1977) is a book for and by educators. Classic poetic forms as well as many invented forms which appear to have been invented as teaching tools or exercises for use in workshops or classrooms are included. Some of these invented forms I have found in use in internet poetry communities, a testament to their staying power. On this page I include the metric invented forms found there in which appear to be exclusive to the community of educators from whom Ms. Berg drew her support. I have yet to find these in any other source. …. Whether classroom exercise or sharpening your skill as a writer, some of these forms can be fun to play with.

• The Repete is an invented form similar to the Rondel. It was introduced by Viola Berg. Although it is 14 lines it does not pretend to be a sonnet. 

The Repete is:
○ a quatorzain made up of an octave and a sestet.
○ metric, iambic tetrameter.
○ rhymed, turned on only 2 rhymes, rhyme scheme ABababAB ababAB
○ L1 becomes a refrain repeated L7 & L13 and L2 is a refrain repeated in L8 & L14.

Pasted from http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=1199#dionol
My thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on this fine PMO resource.

My example

Impulse Buyer (Repete)

I think my missteps all have come
when swept away in ecstasy.
When bored my actions aren’t so dumb;
I contemplate what costs might be
and calculate events to come.
I’m prey to hospitality.
I think my missteps all have come
when swept away in ecstasy.

It maiden beats a sensual drum
my common sense is history.
I’ve married oft enough, then some,
but age has calmed me down, you see.
I think my missteps all have come
when swept away in ecstasy.

© Lawrencealot -September 21, 2014

Louise

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Pathways for the Poet by Viola Berg (1977) is a book for and by educators. Classic poetic forms as well as many invented forms which appear to have been invented as teaching tools or exercizes for use in workshops or classrooms are included. Some of these invented forms I have found in use in internet poetry communities, a testament to their staying power. On this page I include the metric invented forms found there in which appear to be exclusive to the community of educators from whom Ms. Berg drew her support. I have yet to find these in any other source. …. Whether classroom exercise or sharpening your skill as a writer, some of these forms can be fun to play with.
  

The Louise is a stanzaic form that seems to be an exercise in using feminine and masculine endings. It was created by Viola Berg.

The Louise is:
stanzaic, written in any number of quatrains.
metered. L1, L2, L3 are pentameter (5 metric feet), L4 is iambic dimeter (2 metric feet)
composed with L1 and L3 with feminine (unstressed) endings.
rhymed. L2 and L4 rhyme. Rhyme scheme xaxa xbxb etc x being unrhymed.
Land Ho! by Judi Van Gorder
So long ago, adventure for a sailor, 
with well supplied, staunch ships Columbus sailed 
without a means to navigate the water 
New land they hailed.
 
Pasted from  http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=1199#dionol
My thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on this fine PMO resource.

My example

Commanding Stuff   (Louise)

 Commanding Stuff

The lightning slicing through the sky can frighten
the most established and contented folk
but others wait for thunder’s crash proclaiming
it’s not a joke.

 

© Lawrencealot – September 15, 2014

Picture credit: Theresa Clark from Pinterest

Visual Template

Louise

Laurel

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Pathways for the Poet by Viola Berg (1977) is a book for and by educators. Classic poetic forms as well as many invented forms which appear to have been invented as teaching tools or exercizes for use in workshops or classrooms are included. Some of these invented forms I have found in use in internet poetry communities, a testament to their staying power. On this page I include the metric invented forms found there in which appear to be exclusive to the community of educators from whom Ms. Berg drew her support. I have yet to find these in any other source. …. Whether classroom exercise or sharpening your skill as a writer, some of these forms can be fun to play with.
 
 

The Laurel is another invented verse form created by Viola Berg that switches meter and rhyme between stanzas.

The Laurel is:
a poem in 24 lines, made up of 4 sixains.
metric, L1, L3, L4, L5 are iambic tetrameter, L2 and L6 are iambic trimeter.
rhyme, abcccb adeeed fghhhg fijjji.
the trimeter lines are indented.
 

 

Pasted from <http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=1199#dionol>
My thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on this fine PMO resource.
 

My example

 Scorn the Reaper (Laurel)

You won’t find me afraid of him —
the reaper with the scythe.
I never was before this day;
I haven’t lived my life that way,
and that’s the way it’s gonna stay
as I run out my life.

He’s pictured as a guy that’s grim
but that’s a fantasy.
A tale that’s told (to what avail),
with heaven added to your hell?
I’ll live my life, and live it well,
for what shall be shall be.

My organs all shall pass to dust
as someday will the stars.
Before my intermission comes
I’ll eat fresh fruit and dried-out plums
I’ll dance to music played by drums
banjos and steel guitars.

I’ll acquire lovers, friends, and trust
that measure suits me fine.
My body’s served me, so’s my mind.
The body part, I’ll leave behind,
I’m not sure what my mind might find
and claim at last as mine.

© Lawrencealot – September 14, 2014

Visual template

Laurel