Tag Archives: syllabic

Symetrelle

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The Symetrelle is a form created by Julie Moeller Writing on Allpoetry com as Bluejewel. She describes it thus:

  • It begins and ends with a single subject line that is 7 syllables.
  • It has ‘a hat and boots’, mono-rhymed couplets that lead you into and out of the subject with a 9 syllable count.
  • At the heart of it is a mono-rhymed 4 line quatrain with an 11 syllable count.

Bluejewel’s Example

Form: Symetrelle

Serenity

I don’t have to be perfect

From tragedy, it became my goal
Trying to untangle guilt from soul

It is exhausting to keep toeing that line
Always giving more, at everything outshine
Perhaps time expectations to realign
Embracing forgiveness of self is divine

The sun rests too, as part of its role
Soothing peace after a day of toll

I don’t have to be perfect.

© Julie Moeller

My Example

Form: Symetrelle

Invitation to Meditate

The many shades of tranquil

Invite a moment’s meditation,
a time for stress to take vacation

Set aside just briefly all that so compels,
the tasks upon which your mind so often dwells,
absorb solace from the sight, the sounds, the smells;
thrive in noting all the tension this dispels.

When cleared of complex cogitation
your mind provides imagination:

the many shades of tranquil.

© Lawrencealot – November 24, 2015

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Andaree

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Created by Andrea Dietrich writing on PoetrySoup in Feb, 2015

  • It is syllabic, with lines of 11/9/7/5/3/1/3/5/7/9/11
  • Rhyme Scheme: AabbcbcbbaA
  • It requires a Refrain: Line 1 is repeated as Line 11.
  • Generally displayed centered.

My Example

My Example

Form: Andaree

Your Vanity

Though not directed at you, the shoe may fit.
It was, a general bit of wit.
It mocked all the selfie crowd
all around the cloud.
They seem so
proud
and I know
that the well-endowed
feel they ought to shed their shroud
and flaunt themselves just a little bit.
Though not directed at you, the shoe may fit.

© Lawrence Eberhart – June 14, 2015

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Somonka

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

The Somonka, is a Japanese verse form that takes the frame of 2 tankas and carries a central theme of love. From that point there are differences of opinion in the scope of the subject and in how many poets are involved. The earliest Somonkas can be found as far back as the Man’yôshû, 1st century AD. They were the exchange of romantic poems between court lovers. Viola Berg’s Pathways For a Poet-1973 refers to the Somonka as the Rengo.

The Somonka can be simply an exchange of romantic love poems. But there are other Somonkas in which the exchange expresses all types of love; love between friends, sisters, parent and child etc. All sources suggest the first tanka should be a statement of love and the second a response to that statement. “Love” has also been broadened to “What does the world need?” by students in LA California who joined with a group of students in Africa’s Kenya. In their project, each student wrote a statement tanka and exchanged it with a student from the other country for response.

Although the Somanka is most commonly found written by 2 poets, there are Somonkas written by a single poet.

The elements of the Somonka are:

  1. a poem in 10 lines, made up of 2 tankas.
  2. syllabic, 5-7-5-7-7 5-7-5-7-7 syllables per line.
  3. composed in the form of statement-response,
  4. often written by 2 poets, one writing the statement the other the response but a single poet can write both parts.
  5. titled.
  6. unrhymed.
  7. built around the theme of love.

Example

The following description and example are reposted with permission from Writer’s Digest, with thanks to Robert Lee Brewer

The somonka is a Japanese form. In fact, it’s basically two tankas written as two love letters to each other (one tanka per love letter). This form usually demands two authors, but it is possible to have a poet take on two personas. 

Here’s an example somonka:

“Sugar,” by Robert Lee Brewer

I’m waiting to die;
I think it will happen soon–
this morning, I saw
two bright hummingbirds battling
over some sugar water.

I know; I was there.
I chased after them for you
until thirst stopped me.
Fetch me some water. I have
a little sugar for you.

Ovi

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

Indian Verse

Ovi is commonly known as 12th century folk-songs of the Maranthi Region of India which expressed love, social irony and heroic events.

Tukaram, a 17th Century Maranthi Poet wrote:

Because I could not lie
I named my dog “God”.
Startled at first,
Soon he was smiling
Then dancing!
Now he won’t even bite.
Do you suppose this might work
On people, too?

The elements of the Ovi are:

  1. stanzaic, written in any number of 4 line stanzas.
  2. syllabic, 8-8-8-(less than 8 ) syllables
  3. rhymed, with L1, L2, L3 mono-rhymed L4 unrhymed. aaax, x being unrhymed

    Roly Poly by Judi Van Gorder

    The big toothed tot with golden hair
    picked up a bug on Sister’s dare,
    it rolled into a ball right there
    and won her springtime heart.

My Example

Form: Ovi

Trucker’s Life

Poppa longed for the open road
not just because the bank was owed;
always contented when he rode,
he had a land to see.

There is no state that he’d not seen!
East-coast to west, and in between,
there’s nothing like that rolling scene
to make one ‘preciate.

The Pennsylvania rolling hills,
the Gary Indiana mills,
the Alcan Highway winter thrills
all were a joy to see.

He loved Montana’s open sky
and Kansas when the corn was high
the Rockies when the roads are dry,
and then he met my mom.

He needs time with his wife and son
so now his gallivanting’s done
but our vacations sure are fun,
he knows just where to go!

© Lawrencealot – February 15, 2015

Visual template

This one for a stanza with a 6 syllable short line.

Kouta

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

The Kouta 小唄 (little or short song) is a popular Japanese verse form of the Muromachi Period, 14th thru 16th century.  The lyrical song was resurrected as a Geisha song in the late 1800s and is still popular today. The form has several variations, though always short in only 4 lines a 5th line is sometimes is added.  The theme reflects ordinary life and often uses colloquialisms and onomatopoeia.  The most popular are love songs.  The elements of Kouta are:

  1. a poem in 4 lines. (an occasional 5th line may appear)
  2. a stand alone poem but often is accompanied by other Koutas with the same theme.
  3. syllabic, variable odd numbered syllable lengths, the most common patterns are written in lines of alternating 7-5-7-5 syllables or 7-7-7-5 syllables. 
  4. secular, personal, themes of ordinary life
  5. often includes onomatopoeia.
     

Three small sisters dressed alike
in pink polka dots on white.
Ribbons tie blonde pony tails,
“Smile girls, be polite.”
                                –jvg

My Example

Form: Kouta

[Untitled]

three old men sitting at the bar
grumbling ’bout the things that are
the good thing is they can’t go far
momma has the car

© Lawrencealot – February 13, 2015

Scifaiku

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

The SciFaiku is what the name implies, science fiction haiku an invented verse form introduced by Tom Brinck in 1995. Scifaiku combines science fiction themes with some of the elements of the haiku.

The elements of the Scifaiku are:

  1. minimal, in the moment with human insight.
  2. written with a haiku frame, normally, 17 syllables or less. The poem can be written in the classic 3 lines of 5-7-5 or a variation of line and syllable count. (because of the nature of the subject some technical words could exceed the standard syllable count per line, therefore, as long as minimal amount of words and syllables are used to get the point across, there could be more or less than 17 syllables in the poem.
  3. composed of a single concept or image.
  4. written with “uncluttered and direct words”.
  5. written in the moment.
  6. finding the Ah-ha, light bulb realization through the understanding of the possibilities of science.

    poets dance with words
    cyber ballroom fills with song
    line dancing in space
                       –judi van gorder

My Example

Form: Scifaiku

[untitled]

big bang disputed
universe is infinite
it matters not

© Lawrencealot – February 12, 2015

Varselle

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The Varselle is an ambiguous form invented by Linda Varsell Smith of Rainbow Communications.

  • It is stanzaic, consisting of any number of eight line stanzas.
  • It is either rhymed or not.
  • It is either syllabic or word-based.
  • It is either centered or left justified.
  • The number of (syllables or words) per line is 2/3/4/3/5/5/4/6
  • If rhymed the rhymed scheme must be ababcbca

Smith’s Examples

Oregon Spring

Raining–
Spring’s too wet!
Hail is straining
patience, yet
sometimes sun streaks through.
Sun turns chills to sweat.
What can we do?
Confusion remaining.

For Kip

Someone
remember
our dear passed son.
Heart-ember
love-warming through years.
Can’t disremember
the joys or tears
from grief of everyone.

My Example

Form: Varselle


Don’t Feed the Cat

That brat!
We do feed
our funny furry cat;
we do indeed,
and mother nature does too!
So please neighbors, take heed,
he’ll beg from you.
Ignore him, he might get fat.

© Lawrencealot – February 12, 2015

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Folía

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

The Folía is a nonsensical or a ridiculous poem, originating in 16th century Spain, probably influenced by a Portuguese dance song.

The elements of the Folía are:

  1. stanzaic, written in any # of quatrains.
  2. syllabic, 8 syllables lines or shorter.
  3. rhymed, rhyme scheme abab cdcd etc.
  4. ridiculous or nonsensical.

    Silly Willy by Judi Van Gorder

    In old 16th century Spain
    when poets felt a bit silly
    they’d dance circles round in the rain
    and write rhymed verse willy nilly.

My Example

Form: Folía

Bump and Grind

A kangaroo on roller skates
and polar bear on skis
were clumsy when they went on dates
excuse them if you please.

© Lawrencealot – February 11, 2015

Cadae

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According to Wikipedia:

Cadae is an experimental Western poetry form similar to the Fib. While the Fib is based on the Fibonacci sequence, the cadae is based on the number Pi. The word “cadae” is the alphabetical equivalent of the first five digits of Pi, 3.1415.

The form of a cadae is based on Pi on two levels. There are five stanzas, with 3, 1, 4, 1, and 5 lines each, respectively for a total of fourteen lines in the poem. Each line of the poem also contains an appropriate number of syllables. The first line has three syllables, the second has one, the third has four, and so on, following the sequence of Pi as it extends infinitely. 

The following description and example are reposted from thebakerypoetry.com (site no longer accessible).

As a name, cadae is the alphabetical equivalent to the first five digits of the transcendental number pi (3.1415…). Pi, often represented as π, is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter approximately equal to the number 3.14 or, to fourteen places, 3.1415926535897. In poetry, these numbers have been applied to line and stanza lengths, resulting in, yet again, a cross between haiku and sonnet.

Here’s an example:

Butterfly
lands
on butterfly
bush.
A starving man eats
maggots, dies. When two days later he
is found
new maggots have begun
hatching in his mouth.
Which image
will you take to bed
like a lover for the first time
touching and turning it all through night?
Which will be there when you wake?

My Example

Cadae

Read It Anyway

I try to
write
what people will
read.
Often times I fail.
Frequently I get carried away
by all
the constraints of a form,
become didactic
in the cause,
lose all pretense of
using poetic devices,
and end up with something that only
few folks will willingly read.

© Lawrencealot – February 10, 2015

Caccia

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The following description is reposted with permission from Poetry Magnum Opus, with thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on that fine resource. The example is provided courtesy of Jan Haag.

Caccia in Italian, Catch in English, is a hunting song of the 14th and 15th centuries. It originally included two parts for voices who hunt each other. The lyrics were normally accompanied by a musical instrument.

The elements of the Caccia or Catch are:

  1. known to have been composed with random 11, 7 and 5 syllable lines.
  2. usually carries a refrain at the end of the stanza.
  3. composed favoring onomatopoeia, incomplete phrases and the exclamatory statement.
  4. lyrics framed by stanza and rhyme at the discretion of the poet.

Caccia, by Jan Haag

The only hunting I do
is follow the soul’s
twists through corridors of sorrow and laughter

The wild game is illusive
shyly mocking, chase
cantering, cleaving, crocheting and rocking.

Resting in sleep, rising in
gallop, girding, it
grips, rides my laughter, test my pain, leaps over

river-wide splits in the sea.
Peer down O soul! Peer!
Set me aside in a still water pool, clear

from the maples of autumn
hung from the boughs
glimpsed through surface of still lakes, silent waters.

I will be gone, I will be
the reds and the golds
are but leftovers of greens, greens feed the beasts

Ah, beasts I will leave alone.
They deserve peace more
then the bee buzz of my soul, quiet refrains.

My Example

Form: Caccia

Peaceful Prescription

Uncertain, and unconcerned I set upon
my undaunted daily walk.
Oh, the things I see.
Doves and blue jays and their friends converse with me,
they tweet and twitter, perhaps
just because of me.
How many years I thought I was too busy
to wander willfully. My
doctor says I should.

© Lawrencealot – February 10, 2015