Tag Archives: lexical

Awit

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The Awit is a Filipino poetry form explained below by Judi Van Gorder
On her wonderful PMO resource site:
  • Awit literally means song. This stanzaic form seems very similar to the Tanaga. It is unique in that a stanza should be one complete, grammatically correct, sentence.The Awit is:
    • stanzaic, written in any number of quatrains. (4 line multiples)
    • a narrative, it tells a story.
    • dodecasyllabic, 12 syllables per line, there is usually a pause after the 6th syllable.
    • rhymed, each stanza mono-rhymed aaaa bbbb cccc etc.
    • composed with each stanza representing a complete, grammatically correct, sentence.
    • composed liberally using various figures of speech.
    • written anonymously.
My example of a single stanza poem
The Climb     (Awit)
I started up the hills, intending on that day
to climb like deer to plateaus where the rocks gave way
to grasses lush and green, above where wild hawks play,
and ended up on top – above all human fray.
©  March 3, 2014

Lento

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A poetic form created by Lencio Dominic Rodrigues, the Lento is named after it’s creator, taken from his first name Lencio and rhymed to Cento, an existing form of poetry.
A Lento consists of two quatrains with a fixed rhyme scheme of abcb, defe as the second and forth lines of each stanza must rhyme.  To take it a step further, but not required, try rhyming the first and third lines as well as the second and forth lines of each stanza in this rhyming pattern: abab, cdcd. (abcbdefe, ababcdcd)
The fun part of this poem is thrown in here as all the FIRST words of each verse should rhyme. There is no fixed syllable structure to the Lento, but keeping a good, flowing rhythm is recommended.
For an added challenge, one may write a four-verse Lento and call it a Double Lento, or a six-versed Lento to become a Triple Lento.
Below is an example of a Lento: (Formatting is instructional only)
Composed in winter of Two Thousand Five, (a)
Proposed by my dreams, this entire theme, (b)
Exposed now for all to write and have fun, (c)
Supposed to be easy though it doesn’t seem. (b)
Two verses of four lines each you will write, (d)
Do rhyme the beginning word in every line, (e)
Pursue to keep last rhymes in line 2 and 4, (f)
Chew your brain a little, you’ll do just fine! (e)
Example by Lawrencealot
Write a Lento
Designed in Two Thousand twelve with you in mind.
Refined to rhyme lines one and three (not required).
Aligned (also not required) but more refined,
Opined this poet.  Done because I so desired.
Write two verses of four lines each.  Be astute
right off the bat, rhyme lines two and four. They are
quite necessary, that one cannot refute.
Bright planning for first word rhyme will get you far.
© Lawrencealot – April 18, 2012
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Melodic

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This is a form invented by a poet who writes as  chasingtheday on Allpoetry.com
It is 15 syllables per line and at the beginning of every new line
you rhyme with the last word of the previous line.
The first verse is seven lines,
the second verse is six lines
and third verse is five lines.  (18 lines)
The rhyme for the whole poem is end line rhyme –
Rhyme Scheme: abcabccdefdefghigg
may be perfect rhyme, slant rhyme, or assonance rhyme, or sight rhyme
Each new line beginning must be the same rhyme as the
end line rhyme of the line before it.
The following template may help.  Interpret the rhyme column (a)b as meaning the
first word uses the a-rhyme, the end-word uses the b-rhyme.
Example Poem
Calls for Careful Constant Cogitation   (Melodic)
This form requires lines fifteen syllables long, an internal
Infernal rhyme that’s tough, because adjoining words must rhyme, hence
sense must accrue quickly to pairs that seem spaced so far apart.
Start with a new sentence when you need a break,  an external
nocturnal stimulant, like caffeine or nicotine dispensed
condensed into a pot or a pack may elevate your heart
chart and move your muse.  Or kill you like sex, food, or exercise.
Surprise surreptitiously surfaces when stringing sev’ral
caesural sounds sequentially but may lend a lift and lilt.
Tilt your lance and charge capriciously calling for less control.
Enroll enchanting images of white winged fairies with all
enthralled by fluttering and dancing as if on flower quilt.
Stilt your language if antiquities you’re planning to enroll.
Droll wit can be levered when you have so many words, but wit
lit out from me this week.  I hoped muse and I could together
gather something credible, (not aiming for incredible)–
bull can only be shoveled just so deep.  But muse chose to sit
it out, and left me all alone.  Thus this time will be no hit.
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Sestina – Conventional

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The sestina (less commonly, though more correctly, sextain) is a wondrous strange beast, the brainchild of a twelfth-century Provençal troubador. It doesn’t use rhyme; instead, it has six keywords essential to the poem’s structure. The poem’s 39 lines – six 6-line stanzas followed by a 3-line envoi or tornada – all end with one of the keywords; in the tornada, there are two keywords in each line, one of them at the end and the other somewhere in the middle. It may all begin to make sense if we try an example.
stanza 1: 123456
stanza 2: 615243
stanza 3: 364125
stanza 4: 532614
stanza 5: 451362
stanza 6: 246531
This is the prescribed order for a sestina – at least, for an unrhymed one. (Yes, there are rhymed ones too. This is a variation dealt with later.) No deviation from this order is tolerated.
However, there are several different possible orders for the keywords in the tornada (“tornada schemes“).
The popular schemes are 12/34/56, 14/25/36, 25/43/61 and 65/24/31. Pretty well anything goes, really.
You’ll notice that each keyword appears once in the first line of a stanza, once in the second line of a stanza, and so on. You may also notice that the permutations of the keywords follow a regular pattern. It’s all a bit like bell-ringing. Or mathematical group theory, for that matter.
At 39 lines, the sestina is eligible for poetry competitions with a 40-line limit. (Perhaps they used to have a lot of those in Provence.)
The greatest thanks to Bob Newman of Volecentral for this.  His site is an excellent resource.
My Example
Forget Me, She Said ( A Sestina)
I forgot to remember you had left.
Your need to grow required that you must go
find space unoccupied.  I neither made
you whole nor satisfied your unquenched thirst.
“Just forget me; go play and have some fun,”
You told me, “You’re a prize for someone new.”
I’d never even wanted someone new
and still did not, once you had really left.
My love for you, I should replace with fun
and sparkle like a dandy on the go.
“Just forget me; let hotties quench your thirst.
You’ll be the grandest catch that someone’s made.”
Attempts to dissuade you were often made
for weeks while you sought something somewhere new.
But only total change could quell your thirst.
And memories were all that I had left.
Without sharia law you’re free to go
and with it, holding you would be no fun.
Then, for my boys, I dated, and had fun.
I was astounded by the progress made
as I was learning dating on the go.
Once my small son asked “Will she be our new
mommy?” At least he’d realized you’d left.
I began courting with a new found thirst.
Forever buoyed by an abiding thirst
for laughs enjoyed when shared, my quest was fun.
I laid my love for you aside. That left
a vacancy and soon fresh feeling made
inroads to my reluctant heart and new
responses sang as guilt began to go.
Your leaving forced me to let my love go
as death could not have done.  So, now a thirst
was normal and not faithless search for new
absolution perhaps just based in fun.
When not allowed to keep the promise made
New love was deemed okay because you left.
The fact you had to go was never fun.
I hope you’ve quenched the thirst inside that made
you leave. I’ve loved in new ways since you left.
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Sestina – Rhymed

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The Rhymed Sestina
The most important recognized sestina variant is the rhymed sestina, which was devised by Swinburne. Here keywords 1, 3 and 5 rhyme with each other, as do keywords 2, 4 and 6. The permutations are revised so that every stanza has the same rhyming scheme ababab. In terms of the keywords, the revised structure is:
stanza 1: 123456
stanza 2: 614325
stanza 3: 561432
stanza 4: 256143
stanza 5: 321654
stanza 6: 432561
tornada:  14/23/56
This is the structure that MUST be used if you write a rhymed sestina and
should NOT be used for an un-rhymed sestina.
Example Poem
Checking Your List       ( Rhymed Sestina )
I think today I’ll itemize our woes
then tomorrow I’ll pick out one to solve.
I can accomplish that much I suppose
if I approach the problem with resolve.
I’ll Itemize the problems in neat rows
then find the means to make them all dissolve.
All things that are soluble will dissolve.
If I can disassemble all our woes
I should find components we can resolve.
An ordered list is needed, I suppose
For surely world-wide problems I can’t solve.
I must therefore prioritize my rows
Put those deemed easiest in the top rows
A solution makes most all things dissolve.
A binding to insolubles makes woes
an aggregate resistant to resolve.
We must demote those woes I shall suppose
reserving strength for those we’re apt to solve,
Fixating on what we expect to solve
al lows us to dispose of early rows
and thus our will to win will not dissolve.
Our work will soon disclose imposing woes
Solutions will evolve, building resolve.
Some I’ll solve while in repose, I suppose.
I suspect there’s no reason to suppose
discouragement over those we can’t solve
won’t whittle our will, (and add to our woes).
Don’t add that to the list.  It will dissolve.
Wiggle your toes when progress slows on rows;
Think of Poe’s work or write prose with resolve.
Decide to ignore the list with resolve.
Some solutions one surely should suppose
will spring from things we’re not trying to solve.
At last unchangeables fill all our rows
World-wide differences will not dissolve.
Omit God’s will and nature from your woes .
I think the woes I know I can resolve
I’ll quickly solve forever, I suppose.
Concern for rows remaining will dissolve.
  © Lawrencealot – January 12, 2013)
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Staccato

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The Staccato, created by Jan Turner, consists of two or more 6-line stanzas.
 
Rhyme scheme: aabbcc.
*Required internal rhyme scheme interplay between line #1 and line #2 (see below explanation and examples).
 
Meter:  10/10/8/8/10/10
 
Repeats: This form requires a 2-syllable repeat in Lines #3 and #6 as specified below.
 
As in a musical notation, The Staccato poetry form uses
short repeats which are abruptly disconnected
elements. The repeat words are read as rapid-fire speech,
such as staccato music when played or sung.
This form lends itself to strong emotion or instruction
(i.e. military poems: “Charge on! Charge on!” etc.),
a declaration (such as of an event: “We’re married!
We’re married!” etc.), an instruction or emphasis of
human emotion (such as love, hate, longing: “Be mine!
Be mine!” etc.), strong observation (such as
“Those eyes! Those eyes!” etc.) or any similar
situation where a strong staccato repeat is desired.
 
The emphatic two-syllable repeat in this poetry form
is written twice, consecutively, at the beginning of
Line #3 (each repeat in Line #3 is followed by an exclamation mark),
 and once again at the beginning of Line #6
(with or without an exclamation mark in Line #6).
 
Also, Line #2 requires an internal rhyme scheme that rhymes
with a word within Line #1, usually falling on
the 6th syllable (see examples below), but can fall earlier
in those two lines as long as the internal rhyme
matches the syllabic stress in both lines .
 
Example Poem
 
Let’s Write a Staccato
 
A staccato let’s write, right here and now.
It’s simple, really quite forward, here’s how.
Notice! Notice! Internal rhyme
in lines one and two just in time
for a repeated exclamation, yet
notice third repeat may in quiet set.
 
That inversion my dear, was just for show
to make the rhyme quite clear of course you know.
I know! I know! Poor form to teach
Is most certainly a bad breach.
Since this poem with that err I fetter
I know you, my readers, can do better.
 
(c) Lawrencealot – September 11, 2012
 
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Tritina

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The pattern of word-repetition is as follows, where the words that end
the lines of the first tercet are represented by the numbers “1 2 3”:
  1 2 3          – End words of lines in first tercet.
  3 1 2          – End words of lines in second tercet.
  2 3 1          – End words of lines in third tercet.
  (1 2 3)        – Words contained in the final line.
Your Composition.
The repetition of words in a Tritina makes this form a good match for
a story that uses common speech, for in conversation the repetition
of key words is common. The Tritina is a more “natural” form than the
Villanelle (which is comparatively artificial in repeating whole lines)
and the Sestina (which is significantly more challenging because it is
longer (39 lines) and reuses six words
in six six-line stanzas and a closing tercet).
Example Poem
Fido
I have  always liked dogs.
Almost all dogs I like.
And almost all like me.
Their faithfulness moves me.
I prefer smaller dogs
‘Cus big poop, I  don’t like.
Of course I  still do like
gals who are nice to me.
as long as they like dogs.
I like dogs;  dogs like me.
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