Espinela Verse Form

This Spanish form was named for Vencinente Espinela, and is often referred to as “the little sonnet.” Being a musician, he designed his form to be pleasing to the ear when recited. Here’s where it can get a little confusing.

It is also sometimes incorrectly referred to as a Décima, which is a Spanish term for any ten-line stanza. However, there is also a popular song form from 15th century Spain called the Décima which consists of forty-four lines (an introductory stanza followed by four ten-line stanzas).

The Espinela has only two stanzas, with four lines in the first and six in the second for a total of ten lines. Each line has eight syllables, and it follows a strict rhyme scheme of abba/accddc.

Schematic:

xxxxxxxa
xxxxxxxb
xxxxxxxb
xxxxxxxa

xxxxxxxa
xxxxxxxc
xxxxxxxc
xxxxxxxd
xxxxxxxd
xxxxxxxc

I think the nickname of “little sonnet” is an apt one, it is very much like writing a sonnet. And like a sonnet, the Espinela can be written on any subject.


Evening Song

Skin still warm from the summer sun
Glimmering in the fading light
Waiting until the moment’s right
Waiting until the day is done

Waiting for that special someone
The touch, the taste, the feel of him
The bending to another’s whim
Anticipation building slow
Reach the peak and then overflow
The moment caught, too soon to dim.

Cameo Verse Form

For such a short little poem, there sure are a lot of rules to the Cameo. This rather interesting form was invented by Alice Maud Spokes. It is written as a single sentence of thirty-five syllables spread out over seven lines. The syllable count is 2-5-8-3-8-7-2.

There is no rhyme to the cameo, but each line should end on a strong word. Line breaks should be naturally occurring, where you would pause in speaking. The poem should be a single thought, so avoid using semicolons.

Schematic:

xx
xxxxx
xxxxxxxx
xxx
xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xx

This actually isn’t as bad as it first looked. In fact, it’s kind of a fun form.


spider,
busy spinning webs,
you think I don’t see you up there
but I do
and I’m about to get my broom
to ruin all your hard work
again.


lazy,
you sleep in the sun
when there are mousies to be found
and hunted,
which is the job of the housecat
and you know it, lazy thing,
not me.

Trichain Verse Form

The Trichain is an invented form, credited to Lisa La Grange of Allpoetry.com. Like many invented forms, information about this one was hard to come by. And a search for the author didn’t help. So here’s what I know.

This form is stanzaic, consisting of three or more quatrains (four line verses). Each quatrain consists of three 8-syllable lines, and one 6-syllable line. It also has a somewhat unique rhyme scheme. The first three lines of each stanza rhyme with each other, but the fourth line has the same rhyme throughout the poem.

Maybe a schematic would help:

xxxxxxxa
xxxxxxxa
xxxxxxxa
xxxxxb

xxxxxxxc
xxxxxxxc
xxxxxxxc
xxxxxb

xxxxxxxd
xxxxxxxd
xxxxxxxd
xxxxxb

Is it just me, or does this make it a little tricky? Presumably you can make it as long as long as you wish. The minimum length is three stanzas. There were no suggestions of what to write your Trichain about, so it looks like you can use any subject matter you wish.

While I thought the rhyme scheme was interesting, I find having only six syllables in the last line of each verse a little jarring. Of course that could be because in my first attempt I forgot, using eight syllables instead of six, and I had to totally redo it.


Turning Seasons

One day the trees are brightly green,
the next they’re something in between
and finally they’re gone, unseen
the seasons turning here

The sky is dark, the moon is bright
the air is clear this starry night
with just a hint of winter’s bite
a start of the new year.

In bitter cold, snow turns to ice
thaws and freezes, not once but twice
the snow compacts down so concise
and soon begins to clear.

The snow is gone the rains begin
there’s mud where once the ice has been
a hint of green, still looking thin
branching out, more appear.

The sun is warm, and soon it’s hot
time to relax, devoid of thought
with all the pleasure this turn’s brought
never lasting I fear.

The sun begins to cool again
once more it’s time to reap the grain
the leaves will turn, a glowing chain
as seasons reappear.

Tigerjade Verse Form

It’s always a bit disappointing when I find a new form but find very little information about it except for the basics. A search for the creator, Jacqueline Sturge, mostly just brought up links to examples of her poem, although one link was for a poetry book she’s included in: Poetry Styles, Book 8, by Alliance Poets.

So I don’t know why this form is called a Tigerjade, but I thought it was kind of a cool name. It’s written in as many octaves (eight-line stanzas) as you wish, and has a strict syllable count (3-3-12-12-12-12-3-3) and it rhymes in couplets.

Schematic:

xxa
xxa
xxxxxxxxxxxb
xxxxxxxxxxxb
xxxxxxxxxxxc
xxxxxxxxxxxc
xxd
xxd

xxe
xxe
xxxxxxxxxxxf
xxxxxxxxxxxf
xxxxxxxxxxxg
xxxxxxxxxxxg
xxh
xxh

. . . and so on for however many verses you wish to make.

And that’s all the information I could find about it. A search of the name itself came up with the Tiger Jade Capital investment company, and the crassula picturata, a rather cool looking succulent better known as tiger jade.

I would imagine you can write your Tigerjade on any subject you wish, and if you want to have a little fun with it, you could center it on the page. To be honest, I didn’t like the three syllable lines any more than I did the twelve syllable ones. Three was too few, twelve was too many. But I did like that it was written in couplets.


I see stars
maybe Mars
when I look up into the brilliant night sky
we seem to be alone here and I wonder why
the universe is so large and we are so small
is there no one out there who will answer our call?
So alone
on our own

We send probes
to other globes
in hopes of finding otherworldly life somewhere
some other species with new ideas to share
and if they are willing to travel all this way
we hope they will listen to what we have to say
peace for all
man’s sangraal.

The Raven

Seeing as last night was All Hallows Eve and today is All Saints Day (tomorrow is All Souls Day), I thought I’d do something a little different. I have many poems that deal with the spirit season, but I think none are more appropriate than The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe.

Today I’m not only sharing this classic poem, but I’ve included a video so you can listen to the great Vincent Price recite it as you read. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.





The Raven

by Edgar Allan Poe

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
Only this and nothing more.”

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—
Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
“’Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door—
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;—
This it is and nothing more.”

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
“Sir,” said I, “or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you”—here I opened wide the door;—
Darkness there and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, “Lenore?”
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, “Lenore!”—
Merely this and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
“Surely,” said I, “surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore—
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;—
’Tis the wind and nothing more!”

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
“Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,” I said, “art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore—
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!”
Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning—little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door—
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as “Nevermore.”

But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing farther then he uttered—not a feather then he fluttered—
Till I scarcely more than muttered “Other friends have flown before—
On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before.”
Then the bird said “Nevermore.”

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
“Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock and store
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore—
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of ‘Never—nevermore’.”

But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore—
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking “Nevermore.”

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o’er,
But whose velvet-violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o’er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
“Wretch,” I cried, “thy God hath lent thee—by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite—respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore;
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!”
Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!—
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted—
On this home by Horror haunted—tell me truly, I implore—
Is there—is there balm in Gilead?—tell me—tell me, I implore!”
Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us—by that God we both adore—
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore—
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.”
Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

“Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!” I shrieked, upstarting—
“Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!”
Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted—nevermore!

Trimeric Verse Form

This form was invented by Dr. Charles A. Stone (which seems to be a pseudonym), a retired professor, a poet, and an entrepreneur. Dr. Stone has published poetry in many journals and anthologies and published three nonfiction books. Check out his books HERE.

The Trimeric (tri-(meh)-rik) is a short poem of just thirteen lines. It has four stanzas, consisting of a quatrain (four lines), and three tercets (three lines).

While there is no rhyme or syllable count, and the lines can be however long or short you want to make them, the tercets each start with a refrain. Line 2 of the first verse becomes the first line of the second verse; line 3 of the first verse becomes the first line of the third verse, and line 4 of the first verse becomes the first line of the fourth verse.

Without a syllable count I can’t really do a schematic, but the endings of the first verse would be a-b-c-d. and the following verses would begin b * *, c * *, d * *

It takes a little more thought than the forms I’ve been offering lately, but I found it to be just as much fun. This is a great form for anyone who doesn’t like a strict rhyme and rhythm format.


Life is fueled by dreaming things
Ask the trees, they’ll tell you the truth
The stars dance to their own tune
While the world continues to spin

Ask the trees, they’ll tell you the truth
They’ve been here from the beginning
And their knowledge is vast

The stars dance to their own tune
Cosmic music only they can hear
Eternal in its beauty

While the world continues to spin
The rest of the universe grows old
Entropy always wins

The Lune

The Lune, also known as the American Haiku, was created by New York based poet Robert Kelly in the 1960s. Like the Haiku, it has only three lines, but instead of five syllables, seven syllables, and five syllables, totalling seventeen syllables, we have five syllables in the first line, three in the second, and five in the third, for a total of thirteen syllables.

The name comes from the crescent moon shape of the finished poem. Unlike the Haiku, there are no restrictions (other than the strict syllable count), you can write your Lune on whatever subject you wish.

There is a variation of the Lune known as the Collom Lune, created by poet Jack Collom. This is also three lines, but instead of syllables we’re counting words: three in the first line, five in the second, and once again three in the third line, for a total of eleven words.

I'll warn you, this is another form that's kind of addictive once you get started.


poor squeaking mousie
now a toy
for excited cats

I know he escaped
from the cats
which I think is worse

now he’s loose inside
and don’t know
where he’s hiding now

exterminator
will be called
when it is morning


Collom Lune

I like fall
except when it drives mice
inside my house.


Sunflowers still stand
straight in the crystal vase
taste of summer

Hay(na)ku Verse Form

For such a simple form there’s certainly an abundance of information about it. Think the Haiku is easy? Let me introduce to the Filipino Haiku, the Hay(na)ku. And yes, the parentheses are a required part of the name.

The Hay(na)ku was created by Filipino-American poet Eileen R. Tabios. It was first called the “Pinoy Haiku” and was released in 2003 on June 12, Philippine Independence Day. The name “hay(na)ku” (pronounced ai-na-koo) was coined by Vince Gotera.

The form consists of a single tercet with lines of one, two, and three words, in that order. Syllables are not counted which means the word “cold” and the word “temperature” carry the same weight. There are no other restrictions to this form.

Some of the variations of this form include the reverse Hay(na)koo, which starts with three words in the first line, two in the second, and one in the third. Other poets have also linked several Hay(na)koo together to make a chain.

If you’d like to learn more about this form, check the History of the Hay(na)koo in the author’s own words. I warn you though, once you start writing them, it’s hard to stop.


Cold
sets in –
winter has come.


Leaves
scuttle across
cold, barren ground.


Bees
buzz busily
flower to flower.


Cats
play chase
and then sleep.


Coffee—
dark magic
for waking up.

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.

Novem Poetry Form

The Novem is another fun form, invented by Robin Skelton, a prolific writer and poet who was instrumental in creating the Creative Writing Department at the University of Victoria (British Columbia, Canada).

The number three is important to the Novem. It consists of three verses of three lines each, and each line has only three words. However, each line has four syllables - 2 one-syllable words, and 1 two-syllable word. Here’s the catch – the placement of the two-syllable word keeps moving. In the first line it appears at the end, in the second it’s in the middle, and in the last line it appears first. Also, you’re going to want to try to have one consonant sound repeating four times in each verse.

But here’s the good news, there is no restriction on subject matter, and there is no rhyme scheme. Getting the syllables in the right place can be a little tricky, but the more you do them, the easier they get. Which is why you’re getting two examples.


The wind rises
leaves rustle but
never let go

days grow colder
their colour starts
changing, they turn

I think autumn
is coming soon
winter comes too.


I see dragons
in sunlit glades
flying in arcs

I see faeries
and waltzing elves
mingling by glens

I see dreamworlds
of mythic gods
before I sleep.

Haibun Verse Form

The Haibun, which means haikai writings in Japanese, is an interesting form that combines both prose and Haiku. Its origins can be traced back to the 17th century and one of Japan’s most famous poets, Matsuo Basho. It is called a prosimetric form, a term which comes from prosa, meaning prose, and metrum, meaning verse.

It begins with a prose narrative or personal essay like passage, which typically describes a scene, a journey, an experience, or a memory. It’s written in a concise and vivid manner, and often incorporates sensory details and emotional insights.

The Haibun ends with a Haiku, which is intended to serve as a brief reflection that compliments the prose. The Haiku can echo an image, expand on your theme, or create a different perspective, but at the same time it needs to establish a connection with the prose section.

The prose is pretty much self-explanatory, all you need is the ability to write a paragraph. You can include things in the prose that you do not have space for in the Haiku, but at the same time, you do not want the prose to overpower the Haiku.

The Haibun will typically avoid using a first person perspective, using more objective description instead. It often explores themes of nature or the seasons, or it could be personal introspection.

You can extend the length of your Haibun by alternating segments of prose and Haiku until you reach the length you wish. Most of the examples I came across, however, have shown only one of each. My own example only has one of each, but I would like to explore this form further, creating a longer Haibun.


It is hard to trust the Weather Network’s report of a day of sunshine when the rain comes sweeping in from across the lake. The smell of ozone accompanies the symphony of thunder as the water churns, whitecaps forming on the crests – the lake is angry. Meanwhile the flowers in the garden bow under the driving force of the rain. Steam rises from the hot earth as the clouds clear, only to repeat the pattern another day.

dark clouds over the
surface of the black water—
chased by a pale sun.

Rhupunt Verse Form

Welsh bards (poets) were held in very high esteem, and their poetry can be traced back to 100 B.C. Poetry was considered a profession, and to practice a person had to qualify, usually by participating in the Eisteddfod, or poetry competition that had very strict structural requirements.

Sometime in the 14th century, the Welsh poetic forms were codified into 24 official meters. These meters were then divided into three categories: the Englynion, the Cywydd, and the Awdl. The Rhupunt (pronounced hree’ pint) is the 13th Welsh meter, falling into the Awdl category. It has both a strict syllable count and rhyme scheme.

It can be presented in one of two ways: either as a stanzaic form, with 3 to 5 lines per verse, 4 syllables each; or as a single line for each verse, broken up into 3 to 5 four-syllable sections. The lines or sections of each verse are mono-rhymed, except for the final one which rhymes with the other final lines/sections throughout the poem. When written as a single line, the lines are paired as couplets. Easy peasy, right? I think a schematic is definitely called for!

Schematic for four line stanzas:

xxxa
xxxa
xxxa
xxxb

xxxc
xxxc
xxxc
xxxb

xxxd
xxxd
xxxd
xxxb

xxxe
xxxe
xxxe
xxxb

Schematic for single lines:

xxxaxxxaxxxaxxxb
xxxcxxxcxxxcxxxb

xxxdxxxdxxxdxxxb
xxxexxxexxxexxxb


Because I did two schematics, I thought it only fair that I do my example both ways. To be honest, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be to write, although being limited to four syllables per line was a little annoying – it seems kind of choppy with that restriction. But the best part is, I have another one of the coded Welsh forms under my belt! :-)


I start to write
with sun so bright
I wish for night
when it is chill

my mind, it strays
my thoughts ablaze
I look for ways
to hone my skill

I choose my font
the words look gaunt
I do not want
the ink to spill

deadline is met
fulfilling debt
I’ve one task yet –
put down my quill



I start to write, with sun so bright, I wish for night, when it is chill
my mind, it strays, my thoughts ablaze, I look for ways, to hone my skill

I choose my font, the words look gaunt, I do not want, the ink to spill
deadline is met, fulfilling debt, I’ve one task yet – put down my quill

The Kerf

The Kerf is an invented form, and the only information I could find regarding its history is that it’s attributed to Marie Adams. A Google search for Marie Adams came up with: Marie Adams, psychotherapist and writer; Marie Adams (on Goodreads), author of 77 books (a lot of them appear to be cookbooks); and Marie Adams (on Wikipedia), who was a gospel and R & B singer, noted for her work with Johnny Otis. Sadly, I’m pretty sure none of these ladies invented the Kerf.

This poetical form is written in four tercets, or three line verses, giving it twelve lines in total. It has a syllable count of 6-7-10 per verse, with a rhyme scheme a-b-c, a-b-c, d-e-c, d-e-c. I think a schematic would be helpful.

Schematic

xxxxxa
xxxxxxb
xxxxxxxxxc

xxxxxa
xxxxxxb
xxxxxxxxxc

xxxxxd
xxxxxxe
xxxxxxxxxc

xxxxxd
xxxxxxe
xxxxxxxxxc

You can apparently use any subject matter for your Kerf, but here’s an interesting tidbit of information. The term kerf also refers to the amount of wood removed by a saw blade and turned into sawdust. The amount of kerf depends on the thickness of the blade, and if you don’t account for the kerf, your cut will not be accurate.

I have to say, this poem was definitely harder than the ones I’ve been doing lately. But here’s a tip if you’d like to try it yourself. Choose the end word for the third line carefully, because that rhyme is carried throughout the entire poem and you don’t want to limit your choices.


nights growing cold and short
the winding down of the year
has begun, always before we would like

cool wind makes leaves cavort
around the forest menhir
the ancient sentinel almost ghostlike

in pagan times it would
be a time to celebrate
before the winter makes another strike

but folk lore of childhood
no longer has any weight
we just turn up the heat to counterstrike

Shadorma Verse Form

I knew this form sounded familiar – apparently I shared this back in 2010. *sigh* However, seeing as I’ve already finished my post, and my example is totally different, I’m going ahead with it anyway.

Credit for the invention of the Shadorma is given to James Neill Northe, although I’ve also seen it cited as a Spanish form, so you can take your pick of its origins. But even those who cite it as Spanish admit to a lack of hard evidence for this. At any rate, this is a rather simple, syllable based form.

This form is a hexastich, or verse of six lines and you can have as many, or as few, verses to your poem as you wish. There is no rhyme, but the syllable count is 3-5-3-3-7-5 for a total of 26 syllables. The subject can be anything you wish.

Schematic:

xxx
xxxxx
xxx
xxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxx


Like I said, pretty easy, right? If you think about it, it’s just nine more syllables than a haiku. My examples are a little on the darker side, but that’s just the way they came out.


Darkness

There is a
darkness gathering
seeping in
through the cracks
in reality and I
am sorely afraid.

The darkness
is not just in the
lack of light
but in the
soul as well, and I do not
think the candle’s flame

however
brightly it flickers
can hold back
this darkness
when the shadows of the soul
seethe and curl inside

I do not
know its source nor how
to battle
such a foe
I can only wait it out
and pray for a light.


Anxiety

It strikes me
sans any warning
taking me
unawares
stealing my breath and making
my pulse leap forward

it lingers
in spite of my best
efforts to
hold it back
I breathe, in and
out, slowly
until it is done

with any
luck, no one suspects
that I have
just had an
anxiety attack and
fought it back again.

Oriental Octet

The Oriental Octet was created by James R. Gray. Once again, my research failed to come up with much information about the form itself, and a search of the name of its creator gave me the choice of a Professor of Philosophy, or a Scottish educator, poet, and linguist who died in 1830. So you can take your pick. :-)

This poem is written as an octastich, or eight lines, which explains the Octet part of the name. And like most oriental poetry, it has lines of either five or seven syllable in the specific pattern of 5-7-5-7-7-5-7-5.

Schematic:

xxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxx

The Oriental Octet is unrhymed (thank goodness!), and should be written about nature. I have to admit that I really like the oriental forms, with their five/seven syllable counts. Even the invented ones.


Summer symphony -
the burbling of the fountain
accompanied by
whispers of the trees above
creating a sweet music,
causing the ferns to
dance while the earthbound lilies
only nod in time.


The squirrel races
up one tree and down again
always in a rush
leaping to a tree branch to
chitter angrily at the
cat that is sitting
between him and the feeder
newly filled with seed.

Lyrette Verse Form

The Lyrette is a fairly simple form, created by Dr. Israel Newman. It’s a heptastich, which means it has seven lines. It does not rhyme, but there’s a strict syllable count: 2-3-4-5-4-3-2 respectively. Each line should end with a strong word.

And that’s pretty much all I could find out about it, or its creator. The searches for the form just kept coming up with the same information, and a search for the creator led to more poetry by him, and a rather lengthy article he wrote called "The Physiology of Consciousness and Its Relation to Poetry."

Schematic:

xx
xxx
xxxx
xxxxx
xxxx
xxx
xx

The subject matter is purely at the discretion of the poet. There was no mention as to whether this should be kept to a single verse or can be multiple verses – I saw examples of both in my searches, and one which seemed to be a double Lyrette. Guess which example I decided to try? :-)


I wish
upon a
falling star, up
high in the night sky,
watching as it
continues
until
gone.
But
wishes
are foolish
in this day and
age, because we all
know they do not
stand a chance
in this
world.

Waltmarie Verse Form

Today’s form, the Waltmarie, was invented by Candace Kubinec and is named after poets Walter J. Wojtanik and Marie Elena Good.

This simple poem is ten lines in total. The odd numbered lines can be as long as you wish, but the even numbered lines are only two syllables, and actually form their own mini-poem when read separately.

That’s it. There are no other rules governing this form. You can make it rhyme if you want, but it’s not necessary and I’ve only seen a couple of examples that that do so. And you can make it about whatever you wish, there are no restrictions or limits on the subject of your poem.

I had so much fun with this one that I did two of them. Here’s a tip for writing your own Waltmarie – it helps if you start with the two syllable lines and then fill in the rest of the poem.


I close my eyes and try to sleep but
my dreams
elude me, and my inner thoughts
scatter
I don’t know what is wrong
and I
think that maybe if only I could
run to
dreamland, I might be able to
catch them.


The soft summer breeze is like
music
to my ears; an invisible orchestra
plays and
if you look carefully you can almost see
faeries
in the garden, amongst the flowers, as they
dance and
twirl in an ecstatic, joyous
revel.

Acronet Verse Form

This form was invented in 2008 by Patricia A. Farnsworth-Simpson, author of more than 30 books of poetry. And though I can find plenty of information on her books, the author herself remains elusive.

The Acronet is a cross between an Acrostic poem, and a Nonet. It’s comprised of two nine-line stanzas, making it a poem of eighteen lines. It has a strict syllable count: 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9. You can try to make it rhyme if you want to, but that’s purely up to the poet.

What makes this poem different, and more difficult, is the Acrostic part. The first letter of each line, when written in order, spell out a word or phrase. This can be a bit of a challenge, finding a phrase with exactly 18 words. I’d like to say finding the starting phrase was the most difficult part, but to be honest, the whole thing was . . . challenging.

The Nonet was the easiest of the three poems – I got lucky with it and wrote it pretty much in one take. The Acrostic poem wasn’t too bad either, especially considering I made it rhyme. But at least I didn’t have any limitations when it came to line lengths. With the Acronet, however, I found the shorter the line, the harder it was to keep it making sense. Whew! If you’re looking for a challenge, give it a try!


Chaos Is Raining Down

Can you feel it in the air tonight
heavy, like the coming of rain—
all the words left unspoken.
Often they will collect,
silently hiding
in the corners,
so quiet
restful.
Arcs
in
naked
ink swirling,
neon sounds with
glimpses of something
dervish-like corkscrewing
overhead, twisting back down
while the words of chaos collect,
never spoken, never written down.

Acrostic Poetry

You might remember doing an Acrostic poem in grade school, or maybe not until high school. It’s a fun little form that anyone can do.

The name comes from the Greek words akros, meaning “at the end,” and stichos, meaning “line.” Basically, you take a word or short phrase, and craft your poem using the letters in your word/phrase consecutively for the first letter of each line. When you’re finished, your word will appear vertically on the left hand side of your poem.

Here’s the one I wrote when I was in Grade 8:

Frost upon the window pane
Eerie winds along the streets
Blue-grey skies across the lane
Rosey red ‘most frozen cheeks
Underneath the snowy skies
And as thermometers go down
Returning once again, surprise!
Yes, you’re right, it’s Jack Frost’s frown.

Acrostic verse was once written on leaves used in prophecies, arranged so the initial letters formed a word. They can be found in Greek and Latin, and it was popular in Medieval literature, usually to highlight the name of the poet, or their patron. Sometimes they were used in a prayer to a particular saint.

You are limited only by the length of the word or phrase you are highlighting. There is no syllable count to worry about. You can write on any subject you wish. There is no rhyme scheme, unless you’re crazy enough to want one. If you want to make your Acrostic poem even more challenging, you can try writing a Telestich – where both the first and the last letters of each line spell a word or phrase. Do not expect to see one of these double Acrostics here. ;-)

Acrostic verse can be a fun introduction to poetry. Even well-known poets have been known to write an Acrostic poem or two: Edgar Allan Poe, Lewis Carroll, and John Keats, to name but a few.

I found it interesting that despite my claim you’d have to be crazy to write one that rhymed, my first example rhymes, because all of my poetry rhymed back then. And I guess that’s still my default, because I just naturally started to rhyme my example. Go figure, eh? And I’m cheating a bit with my example. The poetry group I belong to has monthly “poemwork” and this month our assignment was to write an Acrostic poem using the word FIREWORKS. So here it is.


Fireworks

Fireworks behind my eyes –
Isn’t interesting I see them still?
Reality fades from darkened skies,
Ensuing silence is so very shrill
Without the booming lows and highs.
Obligations we’ve yet to fulfill
Remain lost in their disguise –
Kaleidoscope dreams distill,
Spilling down like a cosmic prize.

Nonet Verse Form

The origin of the Nonet appears to be shrouded in mystery. It seems to be a fairly new form, but no one seems to know who created it. The name Nonet is shared with the term for a group of nine musicians, so it’s suspected that its origins have something to do with music.

It is a poem of nine lines and each line has a strict, descending syllable count. The first line contains nine syllables, the second line contains eight, and the third line contains seven, and so on to the last line, that contains one syllable.

It can be written about anything you wish, and it doesn’t rhyme.

The schematic is as follows:

xxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxx
xxxxx
xxxx
xxx
xx
x

I gotta admit. This was kind of a fun form to work with. And it allowed me to vent about something that’s really been frustrating me lately. ;-)


Phone

“You must upgrade your phone,” they told me
by which they meant “buy a new one”
so I did as I was told
and have had nothing but
trouble ever since
I hate this phone
and want my
old one
back