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The Tetractys
The tetractys, made famous by Pythagoras, has become a modern poetry form. Ten was thought to be a number of power, and by having the lines leading up to the last line equal ten, it seemed logical for the creator of the tetractys poetry form to name it such.

A tetractys has in total, five lines. The syllables are as follows:

First Line - 1 syllable
Second Line - 2 syllables
Third Line - 3 syllables
Fourth Line - 4  syllables
Fifth Line - 10 syllables

In any formatting, it gives a triangle shape. It can be reversed, starting with the ten lines, and moving downwards for a "reversed tetractys." There are also what is called "double tetrac
The Luc Bat
The Luc Bat

Many poets enjoy writing in Tri meter (six syllable lines) and Tetra meter (eight syllable lines), so this form should be fun to experiment with. Some of you who prefer lyrical poetry might find this form useful, as well as challenging, because it lends itself quite nicely to some styles of story telling as well.

The Luc Bat is a Vietnamese form of poetry, which simply means "six eight." You can see there was an influence by the French as it was The Colony of Indo China before it became Vietnam. It was introduced into Europe by the French, but for some reason never became popular.

The odd lines (1, 3, 5, etc.) are six syllables
Sapphic Verse
Sapphic Verse

Made famous by the greek poetess Sappho of Lesbos, c 600 BC - the Sapphic stanza is a metric poetic form spanning 4 lines.

The form has 3 hendecasyllabic lines - Each consisting of the following metric feet: trochee, trochee, dactyl, trochee, trochee

The fourth, concluding line has a Dactyl followed by a Trochee - this last line is known as the Adonic or Adonean line.

A brief note on the metric feet used in Sapphic Verse -

A Trochee is a two syllable foot, which follows a 'DAH-dah' rhythm
e.g 'TRO-chee'
A Dactyl is a three syllable foot, which follows a 'DAH-dah-dah' rhythm
e.g 'DAC-tyll-ic'

An example:

'Sapphics' by A
Rannaicheacht Ghairid
Irish Poetry -- Background and Information

The bard's spoken language lent itself to the natural rhythm and rhyme, and  alliteration, consonance and repetition were very important to the Irish poet.  Until the 5th Century, the only written form of Irish was Ogham, used only for carving into trees and gravestones. Therefore, poetry was oral, and based on sound structures so they would be easy to remember. When crafting medieval Irish poetry, remember that it is cyclical and the last line should end with the first syllable word or the complete line or thought, bringing it around again to the beginning.

Praise poetry was commonly practiced by
The Glosa
The glosa is an early Renaissance form that was developed by poets of the Spanish court in the 14th and 15th centuries. In a glosa, tribute is paid to another poet. The opening quatrain, called a cabeza, is by another poet, and each of their four lines are imbedded elsewhere in the glosa.

The opening quatrain is followed by four stanzas, each of which is generally ten lines long, that elaborate or "glosses" on the cabeza chosen. Each ending line (10th line) of the four following stanzas is taken from the cabeza.

The usual rhyme scheme of a glosa is final word rhyming of the 6th, 9th and the borrowed 10th lines.

Example

Irish Pride and Pre
A Guide to Visual Poetry"Concrete poetry is poetry in which the typographical arrangement of words is as important in conveying the intended effect as the conventional elements of the poem..." ~Wikipedia

Visual poetry, also known as concrete poetry, is fun to write because you have colors, textures, and words all at your power to manipulate. You've probably seen visual poetry before, where a poem is written in the shape of what it describes, like "Pyramids":

                   A
              glimmer
        of hope through
     the heat, that simple
 materials in simple shapes
can stand as skyscrapers fall.

It's a start, but as a visual poet you've got
ClerihewThe Clerihew is a form of comic verse invented by Edmund Clerihew Bentley, and championed by his friend, the novelist Gilbert Keith Chesterton. It consists of four lines of irregular length, rhymed AABB, or two uneven couplets, if you prefer to think of it that way.

Clerihews are almost always biographical, and the first line usually consists solely of the subject's name, perhaps the most famous example being:

   Sir Christopher Wren
   Said, "I am going to dine with some men.
   If anyone calls,
   Say I am designing St Paul's."
   (Bentley)

They may also be about a non-human subject:

   The art of Biography
   Is different
The Conachlonn
The conachlann is a simple bardic form of chain verse. The last word of one line, starts as the first word of the next line. You have a bit of slight leeway, as you will see in the examples. This is a medieval Irish poetic form.

Amergin's invocation of Ireland is a very famous conachlann.

Ailim iath n-erend
Ermac muir motach
Motach sliab sreatach
Sreatach coill ciotach
Ciotach ab eascach
Easach loc lindmar
Lindmar tor tiopra
Tiopra tuath aenach
Aenach righ teamra
Teamair tor tuatach
Tuata mac milead
Mile long libearn
Libearn ard Ere
Ere ard diclass
Eber dond digbas
Diceadal ro gaet
Ro gaet ban breissi
Breis
The Acrostic
An acrostic poem is created by arranging the first letter of each line so that they flow in alphabetical order, or form a word or phrase. Rhyme and meter aren't issues in this style of poetry, which causes some to consider it not poetry at all. Also, the only set length is that of what you choose to represent with the first letters. However, it's been around for thousands of years. This style was common among the Greeks and derived from the Greek words akros, "at the end," and stichos, "line". It was used by Latin playwrights and Medieval monks; it was popular in the Middle High German and Italian renaissance periods. If it please ya, learn m
The Cinquain
****Cinquains****

Before Adelaide Crapsy developed her version, a cinquain had the same definition as quintain. These are both poems of five lines with varying rhyme, though most often forming the familiar 'abab' layout. Ms. Crapsy's version of a cinquain is somewhat different. While she was American, Japanese poetry was an obvious influence.

The style still contains five lines, but the syllables of each are strictly measured. The first and fifth contain two syllables apiece. Line two has four syllables, line three is allottted six, and the fourth line contains eight. This gives you a grand total of twenty-two syllables in which to express
Terza Rima
The terza rima is a traditional poetic form whose most renowned offspring is Dante's 'The Divine Comedy' (ca. 1300).
Obviously it wasn't first written in English, but it works just as well and is very pleasant in my opinion, especially when it's read aloud/performed.

The form is best written in iambic pentameter:
The sheep was killed by wings of fire and ice;
(the SHEEP | was KILLED | by WINGS | of FIRE | and ICE)

And yes, I know that example is horrible, but it gets the point across

The rhyming scheme is as follows:
a-b-a, b-c-b, c-d-c, d-e-d, e-e

Here is an example from Shelley's 'Ode to the West Wind':

O wild West Wing, thou breat
Sestinas
The word \"sestina\" comes from the Italian sesto, or six. The sestina is originally a French form, and a very old one, originating in the twelfth century in the work of Arnaut Daniel, a troubadour. It\'s lyrical and relies on the repetition of six key words and does not normally rhyme. The sestina\'s length lends itself to poems that tell stories or otherwise travel thematically, and its final stanza makes for a strong conclusion.

The form has six sextets and a final tercet. Many sestinas are in iambic pentameter, but it is not necessary; but whatever meter is chosen is usually maintained throughout a single poem--so a sestina might be in p
Ballads
History

Early Ballads
The exact origins of the ballads are unknown. Some propose ballads began as a communal activity, while others suggest a single composer created the form.  Many ballads were lost through time.  The earliest surviving ballads date back to the 14th and 15th centuries.  \"King Orfeo\" is one such ballad, as it dates back to the 1400s.
These early ballads tend to be basic and not as descriptive as later ballads.  Early ballads often covered several years in one or two verses.  These ballads used iambic tetrameter in stanzas of four lines (aka 4-4-4-4 meter).
Ballads first really caught on with the invention of the printin
The SonnetThe Sonnet

A sonnet is a fourteen-line lyric poem, with a rhyme scheme that is more or less fixed. Normally sonnets are written in iambic pentameter verse, and the thought pattern follows the structure very closely.

The Italian or Petrarchan Sonnet

In the 14th century, Petrarch, an Italian poet, made sonnet form famous by writing a series of love sonnets. The Italian sonnet consists of an octave or octet (eight lines) which describes the subject or introduces a problem, and a sestet (six lines) which comments on or resolves it. The octave consists of 2 quatrains, each rhyming abba. The sestet consists of two tercets, which rhyme in vario
Ottava Rima
Ottava Rima is an eight-line form, originally Italian, having either eleven syllables per line or a line of iambic pentameter—the commonly accepted English use of the form being iambic pentameter.

The rhyme scheme is A-B-A-B-A-B-C-C, which is a moderately rigorous rhyme scheme.  This makes ottava rima an excellent stepping-stone toward writing sonnets.

The earliest known use of ottava rima is in the works of Giovanni Boccaccio, who wrote several minor poems in the form and then used it as a stanza form in several of his longer works.  This act propelled ottava rima to the primary form for epic poetry in Italy for roughly two centuries.

Ott
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Ottava Rima
Ottava Rima is an eight-line form, originally Italian, having either eleven syllables per line or a line of iambic pentameter—the commonly accepted English use of the form being iambic pentameter.

The rhyme scheme is A-B-A-B-A-B-C-C, which is a moderately rigorous rhyme scheme.  This makes ottava rima an excellent stepping-stone toward writing sonnets.

The earliest known use of ottava rima is in the works of Giovanni Boccaccio, who wrote several minor poems in the form and then used it as a stanza form in several of his longer works.  This act propelled ottava rima to the primary form for epic poetry in Italy for roughly two centuries.

Ott
Rondel, Rondel Prime
* A note: In my studies of these forms (Rondeau, Rondel, Rondelet, Roundel, Rondine, etc) it becomes increasingly clear that there is little accurate information. To the best of my knowledge, this is accurate although I had to wade through acres of mislabeled works and forms to accumulate this much. Keep in mind that most definitions of these forms are rather broad and ambiguous due to the fact most people think the forms are all interchangeable or there is only one or two forms for all these different names. The truth, as I have discovered it, is rather drastically different.

Rondel:

         The Rondel is a French style of lyrical poetry
Rannaicheacht Ghairid
Irish Poetry -- Background and Information

The bard's spoken language lent itself to the natural rhythm and rhyme, and  alliteration, consonance and repetition were very important to the Irish poet.  Until the 5th Century, the only written form of Irish was Ogham, used only for carving into trees and gravestones. Therefore, poetry was oral, and based on sound structures so they would be easy to remember. When crafting medieval Irish poetry, remember that it is cyclical and the last line should end with the first syllable word or the complete line or thought, bringing it around again to the beginning.

Praise poetry was commonly practiced by
The Conachlonn
The conachlann is a simple bardic form of chain verse. The last word of one line, starts as the first word of the next line. You have a bit of slight leeway, as you will see in the examples. This is a medieval Irish poetic form.

Amergin's invocation of Ireland is a very famous conachlann.

Ailim iath n-erend
Ermac muir motach
Motach sliab sreatach
Sreatach coill ciotach
Ciotach ab eascach
Easach loc lindmar
Lindmar tor tiopra
Tiopra tuath aenach
Aenach righ teamra
Teamair tor tuatach
Tuata mac milead
Mile long libearn
Libearn ard Ere
Ere ard diclass
Eber dond digbas
Diceadal ro gaet
Ro gaet ban breissi
Breis
Sapphic Verse
Sapphic Verse

Made famous by the greek poetess Sappho of Lesbos, c 600 BC - the Sapphic stanza is a metric poetic form spanning 4 lines.

The form has 3 hendecasyllabic lines - Each consisting of the following metric feet: trochee, trochee, dactyl, trochee, trochee

The fourth, concluding line has a Dactyl followed by a Trochee - this last line is known as the Adonic or Adonean line.

A brief note on the metric feet used in Sapphic Verse -

A Trochee is a two syllable foot, which follows a 'DAH-dah' rhythm
e.g 'TRO-chee'
A Dactyl is a three syllable foot, which follows a 'DAH-dah-dah' rhythm
e.g 'DAC-tyll-ic'

An example:

'Sapphics' by A
Palindromes
Sotades invented palindromes in Greek-ruled Egypt, back in the 3rd century BC. In fact, palindromes were once known as "Sotadic verses." He was thrown into the sea (wrapped in lead) by King Ptolemy II, for insulting the king in one of his verses.

They were quite popular in the 1800's, but have not shared much popularity since around the 1930's.

Palindrome comes from the Greek words "palin" (again or back) and "dramein" (to run). So if you read that backwards, it translates loosely into "to run back."

The palindrome simply reads the same forwards and backwards, usually with a central focal point from where it begins to read backwards. There

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Bref Double

:iconpoetic-forms:

The Bref Double

The bref double is a French form. It is similar to the sonnet, but it need not be written in iambic pentameter (it can be in tetrameter, hexameter, or any other meter you prefer). The rhyme scheme is also different from a sonnet. The bref double contains three quatrains (four-line stanzas) followed by a final couplet.

a/x/b/c
x/a/x/c
a/x/a/b
a/b

The x standing for a line that doesn’t rhyme with any of the other lines.

An example:


Road Closed...

With crystal rain, the sky is filled
with diamond flakes that swirl and dance
to tunes that they alone may know,
unheeded by the ears of man.

The northern winds play havoc with
mere mortal plans, as drifts now build
their buttresses of pristine white
as if to mark some hidden plan.

This land is decorated, chilled,
and sealed for all to gaze with joy;
see all the children laugh, so thrilled
to witness Mother Nature’s show!

Though my intent lies thwarted, killed,
my smile grows broad at so much snow!

Copyright soulsease 2003


Sources: http://www.geocities.com/soulsease1/forms/brefdouble.html and http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/farp/thewriting/27brianforms/27brianforms.html#brefdouble
:iconpoetic-forms:
The bref double poem, compiled by
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:icontoctictoctic:
~TocTicTocTic Mar 22, 2009
What makes a Bref Double not a sonnet?
Reply
:iconvampirexxxwitch:
~vampirexXxwitch Mar 31, 2009  Student Traditional Artist
The rhyme scheme of the sonnet is different, and so is the metre.
Reply
:icontoctictoctic:
~TocTicTocTic Mar 31, 2009
I'll keep that in mind. Thank you!
Reply
:iconformfreak:
~FormFreak Aug 14, 2006
Great site! However, your definition of the Bref Double is a bit off! Check out [link] for an excellent definition, which I've also confirmed in standard printed texts on poetry forms.

Here's what it says:

It is composed of three quatrains and a couplet, all isosyllabic. It has three rhymes: a, b, and c. It has five lines (x) that are not part of the rhyme scheme. The c rhyme ends each quatrain (here's where it differ, importantly, from what's posted here). The a and b rhymes are found each somewhere within the three quatrains and once in the couplet. Each of the rhymes only occurs three times.

Thus, possible combinations could be:

a/x/a/c
b/x/b/c
x/x/x/c
a/b

or

a/x/x/c
b/x/x/c
a/b/x/c
b/a

etc.

However, a/x/b/c x/a/x/c a/x/a/b a/b, which is commonly cited, will not work as the third c rhyme is not used and b ends the third quatrain. the a rhymes also occurs 4 times.

I think that someone made an initial error online with the form some time ago and it's simply been propagated ever since.

While you've created a form that’s cool and many seem to like, it is not a traditional Bref Double!
Reply
:iconinallgoodtime:
~Inallgoodtime Oct 6, 2005
err... *poetic-forms :)
Reply
:iconjeffhoppdotnet:
~jeffhoppdotnet Sep 26, 2005  Professional Traditional Artist
this is interesting. I used to, and still do, get alot of ideas for song lyrics....the concepts I think are pretty good, but when I write them using poetic verse, there always seems something not correct. The meter is wrong or I am breaking some rule that I am not aware of. I would like to learn more about different types of structures....if you have any examples of other forms I would like to see them.
Reply
:iconinallgoodtime:
~Inallgoodtime Oct 6, 2005
there's a link to a crap-load of forms on the front page of :devpoeticforms: it's in the journal somewhere. At least it was last time I looked. It's pretty handy.
Reply
:iconjeffhoppdotnet:
~jeffhoppdotnet Oct 6, 2005  Professional Traditional Artist
thanks....i will look.
Reply
:iconifrozenspiriti:
~IfrozenspiritI Jan 28, 2005
Cool, I'm excited to give this a try... :)
Reply
:iconacauseremains:
~ACauseRemains Dec 8, 2004
I haven't yet thanked anyone for giving the descriptions of the forms....
so...

Thank you.
Reply
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