Rictameter

A Rictameter is an interesting, and visually beautiful type of poem. When centered it has a diamond shape. It is written in nine unrhymed lines with a specific syllable count.

You start with a line of two syllables, then consecutively increase each syllable number in the next lines by two, until you reach ten syllables in the fifth line. Then, you start decreasing by two syllables, until you reach the same two syllable line you started with.

If you wish to experiment with a rictameter, there are a number of ways to do so, one of which, the simplest, is to not use the same 2 syllable word from line one in line nine. There are also "double rictameters" which is basically one poem, of two rictameters in a row, which again is very visually expressive. There is also the inverted rictameter, in which you start with a ten syllable line, go down to a two syllable, line and then go upwards again to the ten syllable ninth line.

Schematic:
Line 1: xx
Line 2: xxxx
Line 3: xxxxxx
Line 4: xxxxxxxx
Line 5; xxxxxxxxxx
Line 6: xxxxxxxx
Line 7: xxxxxx
Line 8: xxxx
Line 9: xx (same as line 1)

The first time I saw this form was in my highschool creative writing newsletter. I didn’t know what the form was, but I remember thinking it looked really cool and I wondered how they did it. Now I know. :-)



Summer Symphony

Summer
Is heard in song
Bullfrogs in the millpond
Accompanied by cricket chirp
The marble fountain tinkling merrily
The warm breeze shushing through the trees
Playing with the wind chimes
A symphonic
Summer


Summer Storm

Silence
The night is still
The summer wind has died
Dark clouds rush in and sky grows dark
Growling, crashing and then lightning flashing
Fading slowly storm is passing
All we can do is wait
For impending
Silence