Rules of writing poetry - Page 2 - WritingForums.com - Writing Forums, Writing Challenges, Critiques and Help for Writers

Olly Buckle · 04-06-2008, 12:43 PM

I am plodding steadily through them alphabetically - with epic looming in the foreground, whilst Bob adds further types faster than I can get through those already here, and I am still smiling in anticipation.
This next one gets through two types at once, blank verse and bio. A short word of explanation, I was scalded very badly at birth.

From birth one breath is taken in of life's
First heartbeat forth of hope, become fast pain
And solitude, before it dulls restores
To gentle growth of stand and walk and talk.
With others be a part, nor part with all
The unrecalled movements. Change will remain
As advantage, personal gain for life's
Preparation for the inevitable

I find it very difficult syllable counting and deciding if things are iambic or not. please correct me if necessary , called away

rcallaci · 04-06-2008, 03:00 PM

Diamante

A diamante is a seven line contrast poem set in a diamond shape or centered.

Here is a diagram of the structure:

Line 1: Noun/subject
Line 2: Two adjectives describing the first noun/subject
Line 3: Three ing-words describing the first noun/subject
Line 4: Four words-two about the first noun/subject-two about the antonym/synonym
Line 5: Three ing-words describing the antonym/synonym
Line 6: Two adjectives describing the antonym/synonym
Line 7: Antonym/Synonym for the Subject

An Example of a Diamante:

(An Olympic Moment)

Agony

blood tears

screaming suffering whimpering

pain torment distress passion

illuminating intoxicating invigorating

euphoria jubilation

Ecstasy

Victory

elation liberation

winning celebrating dominating

glory validation determination vindication

humiliating emasculating demoralizing

misery despair

Defeat

Most of these styles I've shown so far give you an appreciation for words and their definitions.

Olly -loved your bio-blank verse poem- five foot lines-your meter beat is fine

my warmest
bob

Shawn · 04-06-2008, 05:55 PM

Figures of Speech Tables
Terms -- Rhetoric -- AASU

Rhetorical terms... my favorite.

rcallaci · 04-07-2008, 04:40 PM

Monorhyme

Monorhyme is a poem in which all the lines have the same end rhyme.

This is a great style to learn the basics of rhyming. I call this style a vowel poem.

A E I O U – pick the vowel that will dictate the sound of your poem .

Warning: this style is quite grating and to some extremely annoying and noisy –

For my example I chose the( I) sound- This poem has annoyed quite a few readers but I love it… It’s a dizzy little poem….

(The Wings of a Fly)

in the corner
of my eye,
I see a fly, fly
buzzing by,
near to my eye,
[making me sigh
as it flies by,
wings rushing
towards the sky,
flying away
from my eye,
soaring high
for a fly

why oh why
does it want
to die,
flying so high
in the sky,
does it cry
for the other fly
that did die,
when it flew
into my eye

I swatted
that little black fly,
who flew
in my eye,
that did defy
and deny
her right to fly by
buzzing by my eye,
causing
the little fly
to die,
never saying
good-bye
to you,
who flies
so high away
from my eye
towards the sky
crying
for the little fly,
who in suicide,
succeeded
in her wish
to die,
by flying
in my eye

I sigh
from the sty
that's in my eye
from that fly
who flew
in my eye,
wondering why
she wanted
to die,
never hearing
her cry,
for it was you
that made
her want to die,
by seeing
through your lie
about an affair
with another fly,
leaving her
high and dry
to explode
and die,
in my teary
eye

who do you
cry for
as you fly
towards the sky
away from my
accusing eye,
for your sin
of deceit
and lust
where my eye
holds her
remaining dust,
for it was
not I
who made
her die,
it was you
who led her
in my eye,
you who
were once
a mighty fly,
turn away
from the sky,
set your wings
on downward path,
cleanse yourself
from damnation's wrath,
now its time
for you to die,
fly oh fly
in my other eye,

I weep
as I wait
for your reply

I told you it was annoying

my warmest
bob

rcallaci · 04-07-2008, 06:34 PM

Triolet

TRIOLET
The Triolet is an eight-line poem, with two rhymes and two repeating lines. The opening line occurs three times in this form. The first line is repeated as the fourth and seventh lines, the second and eight lines are the same. Some minor variations are allowed within the repeating lines, since this may enhance the poetic effect of the triolet.

Example:

Fire in the hole
The devil’s in my belly
Oh Sweet Lord ITS eating my soul
Fire in the hole
IT’S swallowing me whole
Save me Lord I’m no Machiavelli
Fire in the hole
The devil’s in my belly

In my next example I put a triolet in the middle of my poem. I mixed three styles –an ethere,(if you’re a purist a countdown-countup) senryu (which I will get to later) and a triolet. It also gives the poem a cool shape..

(A Change of Rhythm)

Wait
Don’t leave
I’m not dead
Not yet anyway
Do you have a light?
I can hear my heart beat
Slowing, groaning and moaning
I feel a chill turn up the heat
Stay awhile and watch me fade away
Put that cigarette out I’ve had enough

the cold hand of fate
a reaper comes for his prize
last rites of a fool

Oh Father wash away all my sin
give me that passport to heaven
Hell is not a place I’d want to live in
Oh Father wash away all my sin
Please don’t make that devil win
Fix fates dice to roll a halleluiah seven
Oh Father wash away all my sin
give me that passport to heaven

an intervention
contrition reaps a reward
born again to die

Time to walk that mile to the Promised Land
Father Confessor please take my hand
Hold me up and don’t let me fall
Let me hear the sirens call
Now forever to sleep
As I take the leap
Into the night
To find light
My eyes
Close

my warmest
bob

rcallaci · 04-08-2008, 05:57 PM

Tyburn

A six line poem consisting of 2,2,2,2,9,9 syllables

The first four lines rhyme and are all descriptive words. The last two lines rhyme and incorporate the first, second, third and fourth lines as the fifth through eighth syllables

Example:

(Perversion)

It chills
It fills
It feeds
It needs
Monstrous lust -it chills- it fills me
Cold and sickly- it feeds- it needs me

Example of a poem in which I mixed 3 poetry styles. 2 tyburns (a variation), 2 senryu (a variation) and a Tanka(a variation) In the senryu and tanka I use the syllable form but I incorporate rhyme and use capitol lettering. In this sense these are not senryu’s or tanka’s but short poetry. In the two tyburns I don’t adhere to the fifth through eight syllable rhyme scheme.

(The Adversary)

A long fall from grace
Pride the cause for my disgrace
The music has died

Seething
Grieving
Breathing
Bleeding
Evil seething grieving is my heart
Barely breathing soul dead and bleeding

All because I lied
Deception my invention
Death my intention

Desolation
Destination
Temptation
Isolation
Hell’s desolation my destination
Sin’s temptation brings isolation

Stripped of heaven keys
Cast out shunned and all alone
The silence chokes me
Absent God’s intervention
Only His inattention

my warmest
bob

dannyboy · 04-09-2008, 06:03 AM

if its a serious question I find the best thing to do is read poets writing about other poets

Heaney
Kirsch (I'm reading at the moment)
and so on.

rcallaci · 04-10-2008, 06:43 PM

Clarity Pyramid

The CLARITY PYRAMID form consists of two triplets and a single line, making a total of seven lines. This type of poetry is generally center-aligned when displayed.
The first triplet has 1, 2, and 3 syllables. The title of the poem is the one-syllable word of the first triplet, which is displayed in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. This line is followed by a two-syllable line, and then a three-syllable line, both of which clarify the definition of the poem, or are synonyms for the title.

The second triplet has 5, 6, and 7 syllables. Its design is based around a life event contained within the triplet which helps give a poetic view or outlook on the first line (title).

The last line is 8 syllables, and is in quotations as this line contains a quote that defines the first line.

Here are two examples that I just penned:

LUST
Primal
Orgasmic

a scent and a sigh
throbbing pulsating need
explosions and implosions

“Pagan Virtue; a Christian Sin”

WAR
Power
Politics

sand, dust, and bullets
body bags and amputees
suicide snipers and snakes

“The Oil flows as the Pipeline Grows”

Here is another poem that I mixed styles : 2 Diamante and one Clarity Pyramid-

(Mr. Shadow)

Beginnings

new, young

exciting, opening, awakening

birth, creation, dawn, origin

closing, finishing, dying,

completion, oblivion

Endings

Evil

cold, dead

freezing, decaying, rotting

barren, desolate, empty, lonely

smothering, smoldering, suffocating

hot, burning

Hell

CLOOT
Satan
Lucifer

Apostasy’s Child
A fall from heavens grace
Beauty lost, blackened, maimed, scarred

“FAITHLESS ETERNAL WANDERER

”

Mermaid on the breakwater · 04-11-2008, 09:14 AM

When it says: DO NOT POST POETRY FOR CRITIQUE OR REVIEW, does that mean that people should not be posting poetry or that people should not review the poetry that is posted?

Was it always the intention to have three identical boards, just all with different ways of commenting on the examples given?

rcallaci · 04-11-2008, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mermaid on the breakwater

When it says: DO NOT POST POETRY FOR CRITIQUE OR REVIEW, does that mean that people should not be posting poetry or that people should not review the poetry that is posted?

Was it always the intention to have three identical boards, just all with different ways of commenting on the examples given?

Yes- to a certain degree.

Mermaid

Posting poetry in the discussion forum is acceptable- in showing examples of -form, rhythm pace, etc-but not as personal critique.

The poems Olly and I posted on this thread are not meant for critique or review on the quality of the poetry. It's meant to show poetry styles . Commenting on the styles or how the poem missed or portrayed the style accurately is fine-or discussing the validity of the style - but not the poetry itself as individual critique.

my warmest
bob

Cran · 04-26-2008, 06:32 AM

[off-topic] brilliant!
a textbook example of a workshop ...
excellent examples and explanations ...

well done all![/off topic]

nacreous · 04-26-2008, 09:15 AM

this is an interesting thread. Good luck on your project to write one of each major form of poetry. I think its an important process to work through, in order to find your favored styles. Once you adapt to one or two of those forms, there is still much work to do. Here are my rules for my own poetry:
1. Have something deep to say. Some kind of insight to reveal through your description

2. dont just say what you want the reader to learn... set things up so they figure it out themselves. big difference between telling and showing here.

3. pick the juiciest words for the most important parts of the poem. dont use common words for an uncommon form of communication.

4. dont repeat yourself, or more specifically, if you are going to repeat yourself, it better be for a damn good reason.

5. make it rhyme. (Thats just me.)

6. dont use the word "I" unless you really have to. makes it look like childs play.

7. there must be an emotional content as well as a material one. some link from the world to the mind is essential in each poem I write.

8. dont bitch... nobody likes that. Be constructive instead of just ranting about how unfair things are. those teenage angst poems just make me puke.

9. pick a moral or ethical subject for each poem. try to change the world with each poem you write. write as if your life, or the lives of the world, depend upon it.

10. attempt the highest level of clarity and form. Pick each word so carefully that you may only get a line done each day. be a perfectionist. compare yourself to the great ones of the past. Use their forms but not their words.

lastly, eat well, give-up meat, and get a good nights sleep.
come to think of it, these are rules for not only writing, but also in living.
cheers and good luck on all your future poems.

Olly Buckle · 04-27-2008, 01:30 PM

Rules like these are fairly personal Nacreous, my instant reaction is to pick holes and disagree with them, for example The insight of the beauty of natural simplicity is not necessarily a deep one but it is a common one in poetry, or 3, that could lead to terrible style errors, surely the word should be "appropriate" not "juicy", sometimes simple is right.
The one I would disagree with most is 9. Poems do not have to be political statements or change the world. Expressing love for some one, giving a perspective or sharing something wonderful for example, would strike me as ample cause to write a poem.

Lagomorph · 04-27-2008, 07:00 PM

I've found this thread totally fascinating thus far and can see myself setting myself a new challenge before long. Makes me realise how many miles behind I am.

Lagomorph

Olly Buckle · 04-28-2008, 05:42 AM

Glad this thread is stimulating to some people, I am sorry I have not contributed anything further lately, my computer died and until I can afford a new one I am using other people's which means I stick to the basics. Looking back at my post I see I failed to say that the only reason I would pick holes is because that's the sort of nit picking person I am, it could be done to any set of rules, nothing really wrong with these.
Of course if anybody else but Bob and I would like to contribute examples of poem types they are very welcome. It's a bit of a drag not getting critique on them is the only drawback, so you are welcome to pm me if you have any comments