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Let's write poems in obscure forms (Complete)


The Jedi Master

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I was searching for some rarely-used poetry forms just to change up my writing a little, and came across the pantoum:

 

  • It is composed of a series of quatrains; the second and fourth lines of each stanza are repeated as the first and third lines of the next. This pattern continues for any number of stanzas, except for the final stanza, which differs in the repeating pattern. The first and third lines of the last stanza are the second and fourth of the penultimate; the first line of the poem is the last line of the final stanza, and the third line of the first stanza is the second of the final.

 

Very peculiar, I can understand why it's seldom seen. But I did write a poem in this form, and thought it might be a fun challenge for whoever wants to give it a try. Maybe if it goes well we can have a weekly or monthly contest to write poems in unusual forms. Anyway, anyone who's interested, feel free to post a pantoum! Here's mine:

 

"A Pantoum for the Broken-Hearted"

 

O, I've been left broken-hearted.

She walked away

From the love we had

Without a thought to consequence.

 

She walked away

In her brazen fashion.

Without a thought to consequence

She moved on.

 

In her brazen fashion

She showed me who she is.

She moved on

As I fell to pieces.

 

She showed me who she is:

Cold-hearted trollop.

As I fell to pieces

I was sickened by our love.

 

Cold-hearted trollop:

Now I know the truth.

I was sickened by our love,

Our love was a lie.

 

Now I know the truth,

What I never suspected.

Our love was a lie,

She was an expert liar.

 

What I never suspected:

The ugly truth.

She was an expert liar,

Just like the others.

 

The ugly truth,

There was nothing else.

Just like the others

She meant the world to me.

 

There was nothing else

From the love we had.

She meant the world to me.

O, I've been left broken-hearted.

tjm2.jpg

Only after we've lost everything are we free to do anything.

Paper Street Press

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Okay, that is a GREAT poem!

 

And what a great form. But I would think that would be really hard. I'll have to give it some thought. I usually do free-style poems because I have a terribly hard time rhyming, but this style doesn't require rhyme, so I might be able to do it. I'll definitely have to think about it.

amipaint2.jpg

SHE MEANS TO END US ALL!!! DOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!!!11eleventyone!
There goes Ami's reputation of being a peaceful, nice person.
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Ami: Thank you! It was a difficult form to write in; the penultimate stanza especially, because it has to conform to the first stanza so that the final one will make sense. However, I can say in all honesty that I knocked this one out in about 20 minutes. I usually write free-style as well, but like I said, sometimes I like to try my hand at different forms just to shake things up a bit. You should give it a try.

 

Tiana: Give it a try!

tjm2.jpg

Only after we've lost everything are we free to do anything.

Paper Street Press

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