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Tag Archives: Boren
The Stephens
• The Stephens is a stanzaic form that uses alternating rising and falling end syllables and is patterned after The Watcher and named for the English poet verse James Stephens (1882-1950).
The Stephens is:
○ stanzaic, written in any number of sixains. (original poem has 5 sixains)
○ accentual, dimeter.
○ rhymed, ababxb cdcdxd etc. x being unrhymed.
○ composed with feminine endings in the odd numbered lines L1, L3 and L5 and masculine rhyme in the even numbered lines L2, L4, L6.
The Watcher by James Stephens
A rose for a young head,
A ring for a bride,
Joy for the homestead
Clean and wide
Who’s that waiting
In the rain outside?
A heart for an old friend,
A hand for the new:
Love can to earth lend
Heaven’s hue
Who’s that standing
In the silver dew?
A smile for the parting,
A tear as they go,
God’s sweethearting
Ends just so
Who’s that watching
Where the black winds blow ?
He who is waiting
In the rain outside,
He who is standing
Where the dew drops wide,
He who is watching
In the wind must ride
(Tho’ the pale hands cling)
With the rose
And the ring
And the bride,
Must ride
With the red of the rose,
And the gold of the ring,
And the lips and the hair of the bride.
Pasted from http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=668
My thanks to Judi Van Gorder for the wonderful PMO resouce.
I would just call it predominantly amphibrachic with alternating catalectic lines and not bother with trying to identify and duplicate every variation. Stephens clearly wasn’t concerned with metrical regularity. The only reason it works is that there are two distinctly stressed beats in each line that are separated by strategically placed unstressed syllables, but very few poets understand the principles of stress or have the innate sense of rhythm that lets them pull off something like this. –
My thanks to Mary Borne for the analysis above.
My example poem
Nighttime Revival (The Stephens)
A time for the lovers
the magic of night
no need for covers
not tonight.
Doubts, though minor
give way to delight.
Just touching for pleasure,
a kiss on the lips,
tender stroking
fingertips.
Mundane cares are
so surely eclipsed.
With morning’s arrival
we’ll wake and ascend;
another revival
My darling, my friend.
Hopes still remaining
that this never ends.
© Lawrencealot – July 19, 2014
Royal Spiral
This form was created by Mary Sullivan Boren, aka, Meter Maid on Allpoetry.com.
This is a stanzaic form consisting of exactly four quintains.
each having two rhyming couples of iambic pentameter and a tail of iambic dimeter.
Though similar to the Rondeau, it varies significantly
in the rhyme and repetition scheme, as follows:
S1: aabbc
S2: ccdde, where L5 repeats the first two feet of S1 L1.
S3: eeffg, where L1 repeats S1 L5.
S4: gghhc.
Restated:
This first four syllables of line 1 become the refrain in line 5 of the second stanza.
Line 5 of the first stanza becomes the first four syllables of stanza three.
Example Poem
Cave Dweller
While young I schooled, worked; I lived in a cave.
‘Twas not remote, nor I remotely brave.
First time on my own; autumn really nice.
I lived for weeks- there ’til the snow and ice.
I paid no rent.
No neighbors, no landlord; it beat a tent.
To my mom’s house my mail (not much) was sent.
As snug as could be with storm- lantern there.
I’d study, watch town below, without care.
While young I schooled.
I paid no rent. I stayed ’til weather cooled.
With hygiene handled at the gym, I stooled
myself at deli for a bite to eat.
My big meal I’d have at work: Donny’s Beat.
My evening job.
The quiet soothed, silence ruled- absent the mob.
Would I could share with my missing heartthrob.
Later, one lass did ask me, “Where is it?
She said had she’d known she’d come to visit.
this resident.
(c) Lawrencealot – April 2012
While young I schooled, worked; I lived in a cave.
‘Twas not remote, nor I remotely brave.
First time on my own; autumn really nice.
I lived for weeks- there ’til the snow and ice.
I paid no rent.
No neighbors, no landlord; it beat a tent.
To my mom’s house my mail (not much) was sent.
As snug as could be with storm- lantern there.
I’d study, watch town below, without care.
While young I schooled.
I paid no rent. I stayed ’til weather cooled.
With hygiene handled at the gym, I stooled
myself at deli for a bite to eat.
My big meal I’d have at work: Donny’s Beat.
My evening job.
The quiet soothed, silence ruled- absent the mob.
Would I could share with my missing heartthrob.
Later, one lass did ask me, “Where is it?
She said had she’d known she’d come to visit.
this resident.
(c) Lawrencealot – April 2012
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