Neville

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.
• Neville is a verse form with a combination of trimeter and tetrameter lines, created in honor of Mrs. Neville Saylor byJames B. Gray.

The Neville is:
○ a heptastich, a poem in 7 lines.
○ metric, L1, L4, & L7 are iambic tetrameter and L2,L3,L5 & L6 are iambic trimeter.
○ rhymed, rhyme scheme abbacca.

Macy’s Parade Day by Judi Van Gorder

At times like these when nights are long
and cold becomes a skean
that stabs my flesh between
my shoulder blades, the wind is strong.
I bundle for the chill,
wool scarf a codicil,
then venture out to join the throng.

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

School Lunch Vegetable (Neville)

School Lunch Vegetable

When catsup’s spilled upon my plate,
I’m not disturbed at all.
A puddle large or small
is merely sitting there as bait.
A tasty morsel swipes
then bread or finger wipes.
I can’t remember what I ate.

© Lawrencealot – September 19, 2014

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Neville

Dr Stella

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. I have included the syllabic invented forms on a separate page. Whether classroom exercise or sharpening your skill as a writer, some of these forms can be fun to play with.

• Dr Stella is a verse using sequential rhyme*. It was developed by James Gray in honor of Dr Stella Woodall who was at one time president of the American Poetry League and editor of a couple of poetry magazines.

The Dr Stella is:
an octave made up of 2 quatrains.
metered, alternating iambic tetrameter and trimeter.
rhymed, abcdabcd. L2 and L6 have feminine end words.

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.

*This is also known as external rhyme or remote rhyme.

My example

Nail-Biting (Dr Stella)

Two golden-agers in a room
complained about mate’s habits.
“It irritates and drives me mad,
I need to find relief”.
“I know the way to cure your groom

as I did mine, dad-nabbit. 
Do what I did to my old Brad
and simply hide his teeth.”

© Lawrencealot – September 6, 2014

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Dr Stella

Grayette

I found a few invented forms which appear to be exclusive to The Study and Writing of Poetry; American Women Poets Discuss Their Craft, 1983. The book is a collection of essays from 50 American women poets, each essay provides insights into a multitude of topics from poetic genres, stanzaic forms, to writing techniques. This book provided some addition insights and background information on several stanzaic forms that I thought I had researched fully. I liked this book, it pays attention to the details.

• The Grayette is an invented verse form created by James R Gray of Commerce, California.

The Grayette is:
○ a poem in 12 lines.
○ metric, iambic L1,L6,L7 and L12 are monometer, L2, L5,L8 and L11 are dimeter, L3, L4, L9 and L10 are tetrameter.
○ rhymed, x a b a x b x c d c x d, – x being unrhymed.

x x
x x x a
x x x x x x x b
x x x x x x x a
x x x x
x b
x x
x x x c
x x x x x x x d
x x x x x x x c
x x x x
x d

Pasted from http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=2008#anna
My thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on this fine PMO resource.

My example

When I had to Wear Shoes (Grayette)
When I had to Wear Shoes

My shoes
had no logo
no Velcro snaps nor any gel.
No superstar wore them for show.
They simply served
me well.
My feet
were bare as oft
as they were not, back in that day,
but tennis shoes helped give me loft
I saved them just
to play.

© Lawrencealot – August 24, 2014

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Grayette

The Anna

I found a few invented forms which appear to be exclusive to The Study and Writing of Poetry; American Women Poets Discuss Their Craft, 1983. The book is a collection of essays from 50 American women poets, each essay provides insights into a multitude of topics from poetic genres, stanzaic forms, to writing techniques. This book provided some addition insights and background information on several stanzaic forms that I thought I had researched fully. I liked this book, it pays attention to the details.
• The Anna was invented in honor of Arkansas, poet and news columnist, Anna Nash Yarbrough by James R. Gray of California. This creator suggests the theme for this metric verse be love.

The Anna is:
○ a heptastich, a poem in 7 lines.
○ metric, iambic pattern, L1 dimeter, L2 trimeter, L3 tetrameter, L4 pentameter, L5 tetrameter, L6 trimeter and L7 dimeter.
○ unrhymed. 

Vows by Judi Van Gorder

Within
a moment
filled with orchids
and sweet Savignon
we pledged our lives
forever
to love.

Pasted from http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=2008#anna

My thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on this fine PMO resource. Alas in this case, she did not get the measure correct.

My example

Miles to Go Before We Slept (The Anna)

I traveled miles
because you tempted me
by voice and thought and written word.
My travels proved to be well worth the while
I fetched you home, and home
you made for me.

© Lawrencealot – August 22, 2014

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The Anna

Oriental Octet

I found a few invented forms which appear to be exclusive to The Study and Writing of Poetry; American Women Poets Discuss Their Craft, 1983. The book is a collection of essays from 50 American women poets, each essay provides insights into a multitude of topics from poetic genres, stanzaic forms, to writing techniques. This book provided some addition insights and background information on several stanzaic forms that I thought I had researched fully. I liked this book, it pays attention to the details.

• The Oriental Octet is an invented verse form that appears to emulate the syllabic pattern of the tanka and haiku. It was created by James R. Gray who requests the theme of the poem be nature.

The Oriental Octet is:
○ an octastich, a poem in 8 lines.
○ syllabic, 5-7-5-7-7-5-7-5 syllables per line.
○ unrhymed.

Pasted from http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=2008#anna
My thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on this fine PMO resource.

 

My example poem
Seasonal Re-Paving (Oriental Octet)

In summer nature
re-paves our concrete sidewalks
with purple berry
colors spread by walking feet
or drops apples to kick.
In winter nature re-paves
with snow, in fall with leaves, but
leaves walks be in spring.

© Lawrencealot – August 17, 2014

Ercil

I found a few invented forms which appear to be exclusive to The Study and Writing of Poetry; American Women Poets Discuss Their Craft, 1983. The book is a collection of essays from 50 American women poets, each essay provides insights into a multitude of topics from poetic genres, stanzaic forms, to writing techniques. This book provided some addition insights and background information on several stanzaic forms that I thought I had researched fully. I liked this book, it pays attention to the details.

• The Ercil is an invented form introduced by James Gray, created in honor of Arkansas poet, Ercil Brown. This seems to me to be an exercise in meter.

The Ercil is:
○ a decastich, poem in 10 lines.
○ metric, iambic pattern, L1 &L5 dimeter, L2,L6,L9 & L10 trimeter, L3 & L7 tetrameter and L4 & L8 pentameter.
○ rhymed ababcdcdee.

Pasted from http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=2008#anna
My thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on this fine PMO resource.

My example poem

Awakening (Ercil)

The quiet hush
of forest’s golden dawn –
a tranquil time before the blush
of luminosity awakens fawn
in morning’s moving mist
and critters chirp
and chatter- brought to life when kissed
by warmth. The chatter can’t and won’t usurp
the murmurs of the stream –
an early morning dream.

© Lawrencealot – August 9, 2014

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Ercil