Taylor

• The Taylor is an invented form, patterned from Upon a Spider Catching a Fly by Edward Taylor (1642-1729) who some call the finest colonial poet although his work was not published until 1939. A puritan poet, his poems are lyrical and yet reflect a staunch Calvinist tone.

The Taylor is:
○ stanzaic, written in any number of cinquains.
○ metric, iambic, L1 trimeter, L2 and L4 dimeter, L3 tetrameter, L5 monometer.
○ rhymed or at least near rhymed ababb cdcdd efeff etc.

Upon a Spider Catching a Fly by Edward Taylor

Thou sorrow, venom elf.
Is this thy play,
To spin a web out of thyself
To catch a fly?
For why?

I saw a pettish wasp
Fall foul therein,
Whom yet thy whorl pins did not clasp
Lest he should fling
His sting.

But as afraid, remote
Didst stand here at
And with thy little fingers stroke
And gently tap
His back.

Thus gently him didst treat
Lest he should pet,
And in a froppish waspish heat
Should greatly fret
Thy net.

Whereas the silly fly,
Caught by its leg,
Thou by the throat took’st hastily
And ‘hind the head
Bite dead.

This goes to pot, that not
Nature doth call.
Strive not above what strength hath got
Lest in the brawl
Thou fall.

This fray seems thus to us:
Hell’s spider gets
His entrails spun to whipcords’ thus,
And wove to nets
And sets,

To tangle Adam’s race
In’s stratagems
To their destructions, spoiled, made base
By venom things,
Damned sins.

But mighty, gracious Lord,
Communicate
Thy grace to break the cord; afford
Us glory’s gate
And state.

We’ll Nightingale sing like,
When perched on high
In glory’s cage, Thy glory, bright,
And thankfully,
For joy.

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

My Example

Form: Taylor

Broken Names

I have a friend named Jack,
his brother’s Al.
Their mother wants her old name back
to boost locale
morale.

Since Ackbarr’s now her name
she thinks it’s broken,
perverted by the Islam game
when it’s a token
spoken.

One can’t now yell, “Hi, Jack”
most any where
nor “Allen Ackbarr, glad you’re back!
You been somewhere
by air?”

© Lawrencealot – January 26, 2015

Visual Template

Frost's Fire and Ice

Frost’s Fire and Ice Pattern:
Robert Frost’s “Fire and Ice” poem has
9 lines
Rhyme Scheme: a-b-a-a-b-c-b-c-b.
Syllable Count for Frost’s poem
is 8-4-8-8-8-7-8-3-4.
The examples follow the rhyme scheme
not syllable count and adds another
stanza. See what combinations you like
the best.

You may see her poems here. http://www.rainbowcommunications.org/velvet/forms/Frosts-Fire-and-Ice.pdf

I am grateful for the work Linda Varsell Smith has done on the Rainbow site, but as she admits, the specifications above are incorrect. What follows are the actual specifications for this form, and a visual template based upon the original work.

Frost’s Fire and Ice Specifications:

Stanzaic: One or more 9 line stanzas.
Rhymed: abaabcbca
Metric: Lines 1 and 3 through 7 are Iambic tetrameter
and Lines 2,8, and 9 are iambic dimeter.

Fire and Ice – by Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

My example

Politics(Form: Frost’s Fire and Ice)

Impatient men do risky things
to get ahead.
Their girls they’ll lend to beds of kings,
ignoring any pain that brings.
Such men will pass new laws un-read.
because their leader says they must
They serve themselves in people’s stead
and earn disgust
betrayal brings.

© Lawrencealot – December 25th, 2014

Visual Template

Frosts3

Curtal Long Hymnal Stanza

Curtal Long Hymnal Stanza

Type: Structure, Metrical Requirement, Rhyme Scheme Requirement, Stanzaic
Description: A stanzaic form composed of three lines of iambic tetrameter and one of iambic dimeter rhymed abab.
Schematic:
xX xX xX xA
xX xX xX xB
xX xX xX xA
xX xB
Rhythm/Stanza Length: 4

Pasted from http://www.poetrybase.info/forms/000/63.shtml
My Thanks to Charles L. Weatherford for the wonderful PoetryBase resource.

Note: The ONLY difference between this and the Curtal Quatrain is the rhyme scheme.

My Example Poem

My All [Corrected] (Curtal Long Hymal Stanza)

My friends will not critique my verse
they think that they are being kind.
my enemies are even worse
and I don’t mind.

Those folks would shout and jump with glee
and guffaw loudly when I goof
but they ignore me so can’t see
my error’s proof.

I wrote this form with half the count
of syllables required last week.
for feet took double that amount
so thus this tweak.

© Lawrencealot – May 10, 2014

Visual Template

Curtal Long Hymnal Stanza

Curtal Quatrain

Curtal Quatrain (French- cut short) is a 19th century American verse form made popular by Archibald Mac Leish. This is not the quatrain used in theCurtal Sonnet of a few of decades before. The sonnet may have influenced the creation of this verse form but the sonnet’s quatrain is 4 lines of iambic pentameter with a trimeter tail added as a 5th line. In the Curtal Quatrain the 4th line is the shorter line.

Curtal Quatrain is:
• stanzaic, written in any number of quatrains.
• metered, primarily iambic. L1, L2, L3 are pentameter and L4 is dimeter.
• rhymed. Rhyme scheme xaxa

Pasted from http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=622#quatrain
My thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on this fine PMO resource.

My example

Fresh Start (Curtal Quatrain)

Some days you rise, intent on making hay
but by the time the coffee’s brewed to taste
the fine aroma announces that it’s
too fresh to waste.

‘Twould be a crime to let it sit and burn,
degrading coffee oils and caffeine too.
It’s best I guess, to postpone things and just
enjoy the brew.

© Lawrencealot – November 24, 2014

Visual template

Curtal Quatrain

Stellar

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

Sestenelle

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.

• Sestennelle is a stanzaic invented form introduced by Lyra LuVaile with a variable meter.

The Sestenelle is:
○ stanzaic, written in any number of sixains made up of 2 tercets. The original is 3 sixains.
○ metric, iambic, L1&L4 a dimeter, L2&L5 are trimeter and L3&L6 are pentameter.
○ rhymed, rhyme scheme aabccb ddeffe gghiih etc.
○ suggested that the lines be centered.

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

In Choosing Well (Sestenelle)

It has been said
a soul may search ahead
and choose themselves the parents who’ll conceive
their earthy form.
There must have been a swarm
of applicants if that’s what you believe.

If such is true
Amera’s baby knew
that boundless warmth and love and gratitude
would come his way
for each and every day
he shared with her; he knew with certitude.

It seem to me,
that through her he shall see
the wonders other children just might miss,
and through his eyes
(this can be no surprise)
his mom will view new realms of earthly bliss.

© Lawrencealot – September 27, 2014

Visual template

Sestenelle

Sacred Signia

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

Ababette Poetry Form

This is an invented form (Aren’t they all), created by a Canadian Poet named D. D. Michaels who writes on Allpoetry.com, with many aliases over the 2-1/2 years I have followed him.

The Ababette is:

A 24 line poem,
Stanzaic, consisting of four sestets
Rhyme pattern: abcbc abdabd abeabe abfabf
Metrical, with all “a” lines being iambic dimeter
and all others being iambic trimeter.

My example

See Picture HERE

Velikovski’s View* (Ababette)

Well Holy cow!
I saw an awesome sight
above a canyon shelf
and I’ll avow
it bolstered my insight
about this earth itself.

I whispered wow!
The timing was so right
for I’m so seldom here
yet here and now
I’d visited this site.
The sky was crisp and clear.

I’ll disavow
the theory most books cite,
that water over years
was canyon’s plough.
I know that isn’t right
when “downhill” disappears.

I do know how
this happened in one night!
A million times the force
of this fine show
when Jupiter was bright
and proximate, of course.

© Lawrencealot – September 23, 2014

*See more about Velikovski here
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Velikovsky

Visual template

Ababette

Quintette

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 Quintette is an invented verse form with an unusually placed refrain. It was created by Fay Lewis Noble.

The Quintette is:
○ a poem in 15 lines made up of 3 quintains.
○ metric, stanza 1 & 3 are iambic pentameter, stanza 2 all lines are iambic, L1,L5 are dimeter and L3 is pentameter and L2,L4 are tetrameter.
○ L1 of the 1st stanza is repeated as L3 of the 2nd stanza and L5 of the 3rd stanza.
○ rhymed, rhyme scheme Ababb acAca dadaA.

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.

The Quintette is:
A 15 line poem written in iambic meter
Stanzas 1 and 3 are iambic petameter,
Stanza 2 is dimeter, tetrameter, and pentameter
Rhymed, with refrains: Ababb acAca dadaA.

My example

No Promises to Break (Quintette)

I have no need for dogma in my life.
What is apparent makes me satisfied.
I scoff at those who need an after-life.
Religion’s dogma I cannot abide;
and science too buys dogma, and has lied.

I treasure life
and feel my spirit’s doing well;
I have no need for dogma in my life.
I need no promises to quell
some inner strife.

There’s many things I see, not understood,
and obstacles encountered sometimes rife.
Yet mostly things I see seem pretty good,
and frequently made better by my wife.
I have no need for dogma in my life.

© Lawrencealot – September 20, 2014

Contest entry using Title: Broken Promises
By Author: Clarence Shava

Visual template

Quintette

Louise

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