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May 9, 2016 · A form such as the sestina, in which only words repeat, might help you work with recurrent images. It will certainly push you to write a longer poem. The ghazal, whose couplets can operate autonomously, is a lesson in juxtaposition. The possibilities aren’t limiting; they’re endless. This proposal may seem retrograde.
- Poetry and Form
A Japanese hybrid form that incorporates nonfiction, musings...
- Poetry and Form
- Ghazal. Length: Minimum of 10 lines. Stanzas: Couplets. Metrical requirements: All lines must have the same number of syllables. Rhyme Scheme: Both lines of the first couplet end with the same word.
- Sestina. Length: 39 Lines. Stanzas: 6 sestets and 1 tercet. Metrical requirements: None. Rhyme scheme: None. Rather, emphasis is placed on the last words of each line, which are repeated throughout the poem and then reused to form the final tercet.
- Haiku. Length: 17 syllables divided into 3 lines, following the pattern 5-7-5. Stanzas: One tercet. Metrical requirements: None. Rhyme scheme: None. The haiku hails from Japan, though a lot has been lost-in-translation between Japanese haikus and English-language haikus.
- Tanka. Length: 31 syllables divided into 5 lines, following the pattern 5-7-5-7-7. Stanzas: 1 quintain. Metrical requirements: None. Rhyme scheme: None. Many Western writers erroneously compare the tanka to the haiku.
- Acrostic. This poetic form spells out a word in a vertical line, most commonly using the initial letter from each line. This popular primary-school exercise dates back hundreds of years, with even the Ancient Greeks and Romans trying their hands at acrostic poetry.
- Ballad. The ballad tells a story, typically in a series of quatrains with an ABAB or ABCB rhyming scheme. Expect thrills and spills, with a plotline, characters and a ‘proper’ ending.
- Blank verse. Blank verse is best known as Shakespeare’s format of choice. It’s made up from unrhymed iambic pentameter. This is a 10-syllable line with every other syllable stressed (say the opening line from Sonnet 18 in your head to get the idea of the rhythm: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”).
- Canzone. Canzone means “song” in Italian. This poetic form dates back to medieval Italy, where it was used by writers including Petrarch and Dante before evolving into the sonnet.
A Japanese hybrid form that incorporates nonfiction, musings and confessions, poetry, and miscellany to create a spontaneous, layered text. A poetic form with Spanish origins that typically consists of four ten-line stanzas each with ten syllables per line. Poems, readings, poetry news and the entire 110-year archive of POETRY magazine.
Nov 11, 2024 · Whether writing in free verse or classic couplets, poets use these elements to give a poem shape and structure; this shape is called form. There are countless types of forms poets can choose from (like haikus, sonnets, or prose), and each one can create a special feeling that supports the poem’s content.
Dec 25, 2023 · Form is a key part of composition when it comes to writing a poem, especially when constructing its narrative arc. By using form to indicate changes or points of tension or resolution, a poet can direct and shape their story. This helps to draw the readers in and ensures that the poem has a clear theme or message.
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May 20, 2016 · Writing 1: Have each student write a line in iambic pentameter and pass their line to the next person so that each student adds a line to each poem. Ask them to think about meaning and rhyme. As you near the end of the poem – the last 2-6 passes –have the students consider a turn or conclusion to the poem.
