Verset Verse Form

The Verset, also known as the Triversen, was created by American poet, writer, and physician William Carlos Williams. It’s a six stanza poem, but each stanza is composed of a single sentence that has been broken into three lines. It has no rhyme and no syllable count.

You start by writing a single complete statement or observation on whatever subject you wish. Then you break the sentence into three lines, breaking where you might pause naturally to take a breath or reflect. Each line is a separate phrase in the sentence – line one is a statement of fact or observation, lines two and three should set the tone, indicate a situation or associated idea, or continue a metaphor for the original statement.

Continue writing in this way until you have six stanzas of three lines each. The poem should be written to the rhythm of normal speech as if you were speaking them aloud.



Just six sentences,
that’s all I have to write
to make this into a poem.

How hard could it be
to write a sentence
that could be broken into three lines?

I have two down
and one more to go
before I’m done

This seems kind of silly
but I guess it’s necessary
if I want to make an example

I’ve nothing to complain about,
this form is fairly simple
there’s no rhyme or syllable count

The words are elusive tonight
and I’m forced to dig down deep,
unearthing them like buried like treasure.