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Explore the Craft of Writing Poetry French Verse The Rondeau is a 13th century generic term for all French fixed forms derived from dance rounds with musical accompaniment. The verse was originally sung by a leader and the chorus or refrain sung by a chorus and or the dancers. The defining feature of the Rondeau Family of Forms is the rentrement. (in French spelled rentrament) Members of the Rondeau family of forms are the Rondeau, the Rondeau Prime, Rondel, the Rondelet, the Triolet, and the Villanelle. The rentrament is the opening phrase or opening line repeated as a refrain. Theodore de Banville, 19th century French poet said of the rentrement, it is "both more and less than a line, for it plays the major role in the Rondeau's overall design. It is at once the subject and its means of expression." English poets integrate the rentrament more fully than the French who most often employ wit, treating the form as light verse. Conversely, the English attempt to make the rentrement more reflective with the metrical continuity of the other lines of the stanza. It is usually meditative, a lyrical destination, a memory. The Rondeau was narrowed to the poetic verse form we know today by the 17th century. The elements of the Rondeau are: a 15 line poem made up of a quintain, followed by a quatrain and ending in a sixain. syllabic, L9 & L15 are 4 syllables each and all other lines are 8 syllables each. In English it is usually metered, most often iambic tetrameter except the refrain which is iambic dimeter. composed with rentrement, a refrain repeated from the opening phrase of the poem. rhymed, using only 2 rhymes except for the refrain being unrhymed, rhyme scheme aabba, aabR, aabbaR (R being the refrain) a vehicle for serious verse, unlike the Triolet or Rondel which originate from the same source but tend to be lighter verse. All Men Are Free by Elliott Napier (Australian poet, 1870-1940) All men are free and equal born Before the Law!" So runs the worn And specious, lying, parrot-cry. All men are free to starve or sigh; But few to feed on Egypt's corn. There toils the sweated slave, forlorn; There weeps the babe with hunger torn; Dear God, forgive us for the lie "All men are free!" That man may laugh while this must mourn; One's heir to honor, one to scorn Were they born free? Were you? Was I? No! Not when born, but when they die And of their robes or rags are shorn, All men are free! St. Pat, a Rondeau by Judi Van Gorder 5-29-02 A gift of spring one early morn, a leggy little filly born. Adobe with a blaze of white, mane and tail of blackest night and on three legs white socks were worn. At sixteen hands she stood highborn, with quickstep gait to strut, forewarn, her carriage, speed, a true delight, a gift of spring. We rode as one, my heart was sworn; with me her faults and fears were shorn, together we were quite a sight, in pride and sorrow, I now write. Her early death, I'll ever mourn... my gift from spring. Palette by Judi Van Gorder The dark remains essential blight on canvas without depth of sight an empty plain to blind the eye with no line defined to vilify, a void to spend and fleece the light. For color's hues intrigue, ignite, expose the gravity of night and lure the mind to clarify. The dark remains. A war turns bloody-red in right or wrong. Black storms bring rain to fight the drought and when from pain we cry our joys come sweeter, multiply. The grit is here for me to write. The dark remains. Double Rondeau is simply doubling the pattern of the Rondeau. It can either be doubled in sequence (1 Rondeau following another Rondeau) or the like stanzas could be doubled and paired. The elements of the Double Rondeau are: A 30 line poem made up of a quintain, quartain, sixain, the same order repeated a second time or a 30 line poem made up of 2 quitains followed by 2 quatrains and ending with 2 sixains. metric, iambic tetrameter accept for the refrain which is iambic dimeter. All stanzas end with a rentrement. rhymed using either 2 or 4 rhymes. aabba aabR aabbaR aabba aabR aabbaR or aabba aabba aabR aabR aabbaR aabbaR or aabba ccddR aabR ccdR aabbaR ccddcR or aabba aabbR aabbaR ccddR ccdR ccddcR. Whether the poem is turned on 2 or 4 rhymes, the rentrement would remain the half line from the first line of the poem to be consistent throughout the poem especially when it is sequential (1 Rondeau pattern following another Rondeau pattern.) There could be 2 rentraments which alternate from the 1st line of each of the 1st and 2nd quintains when the like stanzas are paired. The Rondeau Prime is a short variation of the Rondeau originating in 13th century France. It allows more rhyme than the Rondeau, but incorporates its core feature, the integration of the rentrement. (opening phrase of the first line which is repeated as a refrain.) The elements of the Rondeau Prime are: in French syllabic, most often 8 syllable lines with L7 and L12 shorter, usually 4 syllable. In English tends to be iambic meter, line length is optional as long as the lines are relatively equal, with the exception of the shorter rentrement. 12 lines, made up of a septet (7 lines) followed by a cinquain (5 lines). rhymed, rhyme scheme abbccbR abbaR, R being the rentrement (the first phrase or line repeated as a refrain at the end of the stanzas.) Wind on the Terrace by Judi Van Gorder A leaf in the wind taps the pane, reminding me that you have gone. Although my busy days move on, it is small moments that I miss, a gesture, glance, a touch, a kiss. You went away before the dawn, a leaf in the wind. I watch the clouds bring in the rain, the tears that fall and splash upon the terrace of a time withdrawn, the sound repeating your refrain, a leaf in the wind. Rondeau Redoubled is not simply doubling the Rondeau. Instead of a rentrament at the end of each stanza, the rentrament appears only at the end of the poem and the 1st 4 lines of the poem become refrains sequentially placed at the end of each stanza. This apparently invented form was found in Pathways for the Poet by Viola Berg who gives Untermeyer, Pursuit pp 271-272 as a reference which I have been unable to access so far. The elements of the Rondeau Redoubled are: a poem in 25 lines, made up of 6 quatrains, the last quatrain has a tail. The rentrement, 1st phrase of the 1st line of the poem is repeated as the tail, the 25th or last line of the poem. metric, iambic pentameter. rhymed, rhyme scheme A1B1A2B2 babA1 abaB1 babA2 abaB2 babaR R being the rentrement. The 1st 4 lines of the poem become sequentially a refrain that is repeated as the last line of sequential quatrains. The rentrement or 1st phrase of the poem is repeated as the last line (25th) of the poem. The Rondel, Old French meaning small circle, is a 14th century verse form. It is a member of the Rondeau family of forms but differs from the Rondeau in the number of lines and the pattern of rhyme. The Rondel came to England in the 16th century. Sources indicate the Rondel is better suited to French than English yet Dobson's Wanderer is a fluid lyrical example of why the Rondel is adaptable to English. A variation of the Rondel is the Rondel Prime or French Sonnet. The elements of the Rondel are: a 13 line poem, made up of 2 quatrains followed by a quintain. isosyllabic, often written in 8 syllable lines, but the lines can be any number of syllables as long the measure is consistent throughout the poem. rhymed ABba abAB abbaA, A and B being refrains. In French one rhyme is feminine and one is masculine, it doesn't matter whether the feminine rhyme is the a or the b rhyme. composed with 2 rentrements. L1 is repeated in L7 and L13, L2 is repeated in L8. THE WANDERER by Henry Austin Dobson Falling for the French by Judi Van Gorder Love comes back to his vacant dwelling, - The old, old Love that we knew of yore! We see him stand by the open door, With his great eyes sad, and his bosom swelling. He makes as though in our arms repelling, He fain would lie as he lay before; - Love comes back to his vacant dwelling, - The old, old Love that we knew of yore! Ah, who shall keep us from over-spelling That sweet forgotten, forbidden lore! E'en as we doubt in our hearts once more, With a rush of tears to our eyelids welling. Love comes back to his vacant dwelling The Short Rondel might better be described as a short Rondeau than Rondel because this form uses the rentrement or first phrase of L1 as a refrain rather than the full line as in the Rondel. The elements of the Short Rondel are: a poem in 11 lines made up of sixain followed by a quintain. isosyllabic, often 8 syllalbe lines, except for L6 & L11 which are the shorter first phrase of L1. rhymed, rhyme scheme aabbcC ddeeC. r r r C x x x a x x x x x x x a x x x x x x x b x x x x x x x b r r r C x x x x x x x d x x x x x x x d x x x x x x x e x x x x x x x e r r r C The Rondelet is a relatively short poem using the entire opening line as its refrain. It is French in origin, another member of the 13th century Rondeau Family of Forms which is recognized by its use of the rentrement. The elements of the Rondelet are: a heptastich, a poem in 7 lines. in French syllabic. Syllable count per line are 4-8-4-8-8-8-4 In English tends to be iambic in pattern. composed with a rentrement, in the Rondelet the entire L1 is repeated as refrain in L3 and L7. rhymed. Rhyme scheme interlocks between the refrain AbAabbA. Two Deputies by Judi Van Gorder August's end by Barbara Hartman 8-19-05 So much to do before green hummingbirds depart so much to do before our final rendezvous when frost adorns gray spider's art and winter winds tear vines apart so much to do . . . Loneliness by Robert Murtaugh,(Fader) 8-14-05 In loneliness I sit and wait for someone new In loneliness My heart is filled with such duress But as I sit here feeling blue I wait to meet someone like you In loneliness. The Rondine is a little seen shortened version of the Rondeau dating back to at least the 16th century. The elements of the Rondine are: a poem in 12 lines made up of a quatrain, a tercet and ending in a quintet. syllabic 8 syllables per line accept L7 and L12 which are 4 syllbles each. In English metered, most often iambic tetrameter except the refrain which is iambic dimeter. composed with a refrain repeated from the opening phrase of the poem, rentrement. rhymed, using only 2 rhymes except for the refrain being unrhymed, rhyme scheme abba,abR, abbaR (R being the refrain) Happy Mother's Day The Triolet, the name didn't appear until 1486, but the form can be traced back 13th century France. It is a member of the Rondeau family as distinguished by the rentrement.The Triolet fell in and out of favor with French poets until the 19th century when it became part of the promotion of Romance Fixed Forms by Theodore de Banville. He promoted the form as playful or satirical. One challenge of the form is in managing the intricate repetition of lines so that it seems natural. The repeated line may vary in meaning to shift the emphasis of the poem. "The fifth and sixth lines both support the refrain and resist it. The support coming from re-establishing some formal stability after the irregularities of the third and fourth lines; and resist it by allowing a temporary release from its apparent stranglehold, usually accompanied by an expansion of the subject matter." The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics The elements of the Triolet are: an octa-stich, a poem in 8 lines. in English, most often written with variable line length and meter at the discretion of the poet. Originally in French, the lines were octasyllabic which would create an 8 by 8 effect. composed with a rentrement, L1 is repeated as L4 and L7. There is also repetition of L2 in L8. rhymed, with only 2 rhymes with the rhyme scheme ABaAabAB. most often playful or satirical, appropriate for light verse or occasional verse. Triolet by Ernest Henley; British Poet (1849-1903) Easy is the triolet, If you really learn to make it! Once a neat refrain you get, Easy is the triolet. As you see! I pay my debt With another rhyme. Deuce take it, Easy is the triolet, If you really learn to make it! Cat Tale by Judi Van Gorder The kitty flips her fluffy tail displaying inborn-regal grace, her half closed eyes create a veil. The princess flips her fluffy tail, aloof and pampered tips the scale. With feigned disinterest on her face, the kitty flips her fluffy tail, she moves with orchestrated grace. Villanelle (a rustic, peasant song or dance) is an intricate French verse that is distinguished by its pastoral subject matter and alternating refrain. A member of the Rondeau family, it expands on the Rondeau's signature, "rentrement", a repetition of the 1st line or phrase as a refrain, by also including the 3rd line as an alternating refrain. The Villanelle originated in the 15th century becoming standardized by the 17th century. The French use the form as a stanzaic form allowing as many tercets as one chooses. The English version is a fixed form limiting the number of lines to 19. Because of the repetition of 2 lines, the form does not allow the poet to tell a story. There can be no narrative and no way to create lineal progression, the poem goes round and round. The form is described by French poet, T. de Danville as "a plait of gold and silver threads into which is woven a third, rose-colored thread." The elements of the Villanelle are: metered, primarily iambic pentameter, however, trimeter and tetrameter were popular in the 19th century. in French stanzaic, written in any number of tercets and finally ending in a quatrain. in English, written in a total of 19 lines, made up of 5 tercets and ending with a quatrain. L1 and L3 of the first stanza, alternate as the refrain in the following tercets. The refrain lines may be altered a bit. composed with L1 and L3 of the first tercet repeated as the last two lines of the poem. written with only 2 end rhymes with a rhyme scheme of A¹bA², abA¹, abA², abA¹, abA², abA¹A². originally composed with a pastoral theme. Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas 1952 Do not go gentle into that good night Old age should burn and rave at close of day Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark I s right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night Good men the last wave by crying how bright There frail deeds might have danced in a green bay; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way Do not go gentle into that good night. Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light. And you, my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray, Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Villanelle for Scottie by Judi Van Gorder My rascal son, you are a stand up man, much more than I could wish or hope you'd be and I will always be your biggest fan. You went away to school and said, I can! I cherish well the boy that I still see, my child, you grew into a searching man. With badge and gun your life's career began, you've served with valor and integrity, I burst with pride, I am your biggest fan. You fell in love and wed, I say, that's grand! She more than makes you smile it's plain to me, she is your perfect fit, you'll be her man. With joy, a noisy family was in the plan, three girls and now a boy have come to be, you made me Grandma , I'm a grateful fan. My daring son, I thrill at your success, I know you couldn't be more loved or blessed and now my boy, you've become an envied man, with love and pride. I am your biggest fan.

Explore the Craft of Writing Poetry English Verse English Poets Emulated There are many lesser known stanzaic patterns and verse forms projacked and styled after published poems, then named for the poet. These stanzaic patterns appear to have been invented as teaching tools and published in Pathways for a Poet by Viola Berg 1977. Here are a few named for English poets: The Abercrombie is a stanza pattern using sprung rhythm and an interlocking rhyme scheme. It is patterned after Hymn to Love by British poet, Lascelles Abacrombie (1881-1938). The elements of the Abercrombie are: stanzaic, written in any number of octaves made up of 2 quatrains. metric, written in sprung rhythm with L1,L3,L5,L7 are pentameter, L2 & L6 are tetrameter and L4 & L8 is trimeter. rhymed, interlocking rhyme scheme abac dbdc, efeg hfhg, etc. L4 and L8 are feminine rhyme. The interlocking rhyme is within the octave and does not extend to the next octave. Hymn to Love by Lascelles Abercrombie We are thine, O Love, being in thee and made of thee, As théou, Léove, were the déep thought And we the speech of the thought; yea, spoken are we, Thy fires of thought out-spoken: But burn'd not through us thy imagining Like fiérce méood in a séong céaught, We were as clamour'd words a fool may fling, Loose words, of meaning broken. For what more like the brainless speech of a fool, The lives travelling dark fears, And as a boy throws pebbles in a pool Thrown down abysmal places? Hazardous are the stars, yet is our birth And our journeying time theirs; As words of air, life makes of starry earth sweet soul-delighted faces; As voices are we in the worldly wind; The great wind of the world's fate Is turn'd, as air to a shapen sound, to mind And marvellous desires. But not in the world as voices storm-shatter'd, Not borne down by the wind's weight; The rushing time rings with our splendid word Like darkness fill'd with fires. For Love doth use us for a sound of song, And Love's meaning our life wields, Making our souls like syllables to throng His tunes of exultation, Down the blind speed of a fatal world we fly, As rain blown along earth's fields; Yet are we god-desiring liturgy, Sung joys of adoration; Yea, made of chance and all a labouring strife, We go charged with a strong flame; For as a language Love hath seized on life His burning heart to story. Yea, Love, we are thine, the liturgy of thee, Thy thought's golden and glad name, The mortal conscience of immortal glee, Love's zeal in Love's own glory. The Arnold is a stanzaic pattern that links stanzas with rhyme. It is named for English poet Matthew Arnold (1822-1888) and patterned after his poem The Hymn of Empedocles. Arnold was actually better known for writing the classic Dover Beach. The elements of the Arnold are: stanzaic, written in any even number of cinquains. metered, L1 through L4 are trimeter, L5 is hexameter. rhymed. L1 through L4 are alternating rhyme, L5 rhymes with line 5 of the next stanza. The L5 rhyme changes every 2 stanzas. Rhyme scheme: ababc dedec fgfgh ijijh etc. L1 through L4 are indented 9 spaces. Now that is getting specific. The Hymn of Empedocles by Mathew Arnold IS it so small a thing To have enjoy'd the sun, To have lived light in the spring, To have loved, to have thought, to have done; To have advanced true friends, and beat down baffling foes; That we must feign a bliss Of doubtful future date, And while we dream on this Lose all our present state, And relegate to worlds yet distant our repose? Not much, I know, you prize What pleasures may be had, Who look on life with eyes Estranged, like mine, and sad: And yet the village churl feels the truth more than you; Who 's loth to leave this life Which to him little yields: His hard-task'd sunburnt wife, His often-labour'd fields; The boors with whom he talk'd, the country spots he knew. But thou, because thou hear'st Men scoff at Heaven and Fate; Because the gods thou fear'st Fail to make blest thy state, Tremblest, and wilt not dare to trust the joys there are. I say, Fear not! life still Leaves human effort scope. But, since life teems with ill, Nurse no extravagant hope. Because thou must not dream, thou need'st not then despair. The Binyon is an envelope verse form with refrain patterned after the poem O World, Be Nobler by 19th century English poet Laurence Binyon. Binyon is known as a World War I poet. O World, is not his best known work, he is better known for For the Fallen which is often used in military memorial services. The elements of the Binyon are: a heptastich, a poem in 7 lines. metered, iambic tetrameter. rhymed, rhyme scheme AbccbaA. composed with a refrain, the 1st line is repeated as the last line. O World, Be Nobler Laurence Binyon (1869-1943) O WORLD, be nobler, for her sake! If she but knew thee what thou art, What wrongs are borne, what deeds are done In thee, beneath thy daily sun, Know'st thou not that her tender heart For pain and very shame would break? O World, be nobler, for her sake! The Blunden is named for the English World War I poet, Edmund Blunden (1896- 1933 or 1974??), a stanzaic form with variable meter patterned after his poem The Survival. Blunden unlike most "War Poets", wrote about the loss of beauty in the war torn landscape of France. The easy rhythm of the form brings a kind of melancholy to the poem. This poem could almost be considered a débat. Two voices are heard, the mind's need to cope versus the soul's devastation at the mindless destruction. The elements of the Blunden are: metered, L1, L3, L4, L5 iambic tetrameter and L2, L6 iambic trimeter. stanzaic, any number of sexains or sixains (6 line stanzas). rhymed, rhyme scheme abccab deffde etc. The Survival by Edmund Blunden To-day's house makes to-morrow's road; I knew these heaps of stone When they were walls of grace and might, The country's honour, art's delight That over fountain'd silence show'd Fame's final bastion. Inheritance has found fresh work, Disunion union breeds; Beauty the strong, its difference lost, Has matter fit for flood and frost. Here's the true blood that will not shirk Life's new-commanding needs. With curious costly zeal, O man, Raise orrery and ode; How shines your tower, the only one Of that especial site and stone! And even the dream's confusion can Sustain to-morrow's road. The Bridges is a stanzaic form with a formal tone created by the long and short lines and exact rhyme scheme. It is patterned after Nightingales by English poet Robert Bridges(1844-1930). The elements of the Bridges are: stanzaic, written in any number of sixains. metered, L1,L2, L4 and L5 are loosely iambic pentameter and L3 and L6 are dimeter. rhymed, rhyme scheme aabccb ddeffe etc. Beyond London 1888 by Judi Van Gorder Nightingales by Robert Bridges BEAUTIFUL must be the mountains whence ye come, And bright in the fruitful valleys the streams, wherefrom Ye learn your song: Where are those starry woods? O might I wander there, Among the flowers, which in that heavenly air Bloom the year long! Nay, barren are those mountains and spent the streams: Our song is the voice of desire, that haunts our dreams, A throe of the heart, Whose pining visions dim, forbidden hopes profound, No dying cadence nor long sigh can sound For all our art. Alone, aloud in the raptured ear of men We pour our dark nocturnal secret; and then, As night is withdrawn From these sweet-springing meads and bursting boughs of May, Dream, while the innumerable choir of day Welcome the dawn. The de la Mare is a verse form patterned after Fare Well by English poet, Walter De La Mare (1873-1956).De La Mare is better known for his poem The Listeners. The elements of the de la Mare are: stanzaic, written in any number of octaves made up of 2 quatrains. metered, quatrains of 3 tetrameter lines followed by a dimeter line. rhymed, xaxaxbxb xcxcxdxd etc. x being unrhymed. composed with alternating feminine and masculine end words, only the masculine end words are rhymed. Fare Well by Walter de la Mare When I lie where shades of darkness Shall no more assail mine eyes, Nor the rain make lamentation When the wind sighs; How will fare the world whose wonder Was the very proof of me? Memory fades, must the remembered Perishing be? Oh, when this my dust surrenders Hand, foot, lip, to dust again, May these loved and loving faces Please other men! May the rusting harvest hedgerow Still the Traveller's Joy entwine, And as happy children gather Posies once mine. Look thy last on all things lovely, Every hour. Let no night Seal thy sense in deathly slumber Till to delight Thou have paid thy utmost blessing; Since that all things thou wouldst praise Beauty took from those who loved them In other days The de Tabley is a verse form patterned after Chorus from Medea by John Leicester Warren, Lord de Tabley (1835-1895). De Tabley's poetry reflected his study of the classics and his passion for detail. The elements of the de Tabley are: stanzaic, written in any number of quatrains. metric, alternating iambic pentameter and iambic trimeter lines. L1 of each stanza begins with a trochee Su. rhymed, rhymed scheme abab cdcd etc. Thread of Dreams by Judi Van Gorder Chorus from Medea by John Leicester Warren, Lord de Tabley SWEET are the ways of death to weary feet, Calm are the shades of men. The phantom fears no tyrant in his seat, The slave is master then. Love is abolish'd; well, that this is so; We knew him best as Pain. The gods are all cast out, and let them go! Who ever found them gain? Ready to hurt and slow to succour these; So, while thou breathest, pray. But in the sepulchre all flesh has peace; Their hand is put away. The Dixon measures the differences between masculine and feminine rhyme. Patterned after the poem The Feathers of the Willow by English poet, Richard Watson Dixon (1833-1900).The elements of the Dixon are: stanzaic, written in any number of sixains made up of 2 tercets. metered, trimeter rhymed, rhyme scheme aab ccb. The b rhymes are strong, masculine, the rhyme on a stressed end syllable. The a and c rhymes are feminine or falling rhymes, the rhyme is in the stressed syllable of an end word ending in an unstressed syllable. The Feathers of the Willow by Richard Watson Dixon THE feathers of the willow Are half of them grown yellow Above the swelling stream; And ragged are the bushes, And rusty now the rushes, And wild the clouded gleam. The thistle now is older, His stalk begins to molder, His head is white as snow; The branches all are barer, The linnet's song is rarer, The robin pipeth now. The Dobson is named for Henry Austin Dobson (1840-1921), 19th century English poet, patterned from his The Garden Song. Dobson was respected in his time for his use of French forms especially his mastery of the Triolet.The elements of the Dobson are: stanzaic, written in any number of sixains made up of 3 rhymed couplets. metered, most often written in tetrameter. rhymed, rhyme scheme aabbcc ddeeff et. A Garden Song by Henry Austin Dobson HERE in this sequester'd close Bloom the hyacinth and rose, Here beside the modest stock Flaunts the flaring hollyhock; Here, without a pang, one sees Ranks, conditions, and degrees. All the seasons run their race In this quiet resting place, Peach and apricot and fig Here will ripen and grow big; Here is store and overplus, More had not Alcinoüs! Here, in alleys cool and green, Far ahead the thrush is seen; Here along the southern wall Keeps the bee his festival; All is quiet else--afar Sounds of toil and turmoil are. Here be shadows large and long; Here be spaces meet for song; Grant, O garden-god, that I, Now that none profane is nigh, Now that mood and moment please, Find the fair Pierides! Wake Up Call by Judi Van Gorder The yellow daffodils appear, a season preview, Spring is near. Though winter's silence still is heard in time, new life is undeterred. Awake and open up your eyes the garden offers up the prize. Bodega Blues by Judi Van Gorder The Donne is named for the English Poet, John Donne (1573-1631) patterned after his A Hymn to God the Father. John Donne was known as a metaphysical poet and his poetic style directly influenced the poetry of the 16th century.The elements of the Donne are: stanzaic, written in any number of sixains. metered, L1 through L4 are pentameter, L5 tetrameter and L6 is dimeter. rhymed, with an alternating rhyme scheme ababab. The rhyme scheme maintains the same 2 rhymes throughout the poem ababab ababab etc. Hymn to God the Father by John Donne WILT Thou forgive that sin where I begun, Which was my sin, though it were done before? Wilt Thou forgive that sin, through which I run, And do run still, though still I do deplore When Thou hast done, Thou hast not done, For I have more. Wilt thou forgive that sin which I have won Others to sin, and made my sin their door? Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun A year or two, but wallow'd in, a score? When thou hast done, thou hast not done, For I have more. I have a sin of fear, that when I have spun My last thread, I shall perish on the shore; But swear by thyself, that at my death thy Son Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore; And, having done that, thou hast done; I fear no more. Done Donne by Rex Allen Brewer How can I find a way to write like Donne, When comes the fun, who cracks the door? My words are poor, like weeds without the sun. I can't find rhyme or pun, I am a bore. I walk the floor, what have I won? Foul done, no score. The Dowson is patterned after the poem They Are Not Long, the Weeping and the Laughing by English poet Ernest Dowson (1867-1900). It is this poem that coined the phrase, "the days of wine and roses." As a side note,Dowson died at the age of 32 a direct result of his alcoholism. The elements of the Dowson are: stanzaic, 2 quatrains. metered, L1-L3 pentameter, L2 trimeter, L4 dimeter. rhymed abab cdcd, L1-L3 of each stanza ends in feminine rhyme and L2-L4 is masculine rhyme. They Are Not Long, The Weeping and the Laughing by Ernest Dowson They are not long, the weeping and the laughter, Love and desire and hate: I think they have no portion in us after We pass the gate. They are not long, the days of wine and roses: Out of a misty dream Our path emerges for awhile, then closes Within a dream. The Fletcher is a verse form that employs long and short lines, from the poem Away, Delights by John Fletcher (1579-1625) The elements of the Fletcher are: 2 octaves made up of 2 quatrains each. metered, L1, L3, L5, L8 are pentameter and L2, L4, L6, L7 are dimeter. rhymed ababcdcd efefghgh , L1 and L3 of each octave are feminine rhyme. Away,Delights! By John Fletcher AWAY, delights! go seek some other dwelling, For I must die. Farewell, false love! thy tongue is ever telling Lie after lie. For ever let me rest now from thy smarts; Alas, for pity go And fire their hearts That have been hard to thee! Mine was not so. Never again deluding love shall know me, For I will die; And all those griefs that think to overgrow me Shall be as I: For ever will I sleep, while poor maids cry-- 'Alas, for pity stay, And let us die With thee! Men cannot mock us in the clay.' The Gilbert is a verse form in which a theme reoccurs in different settings from stanza to stanza. It is named for William Schwenk Gilbert (1836-1911) of Gilbert and Sullivan fame, (operettas for which Gilbert provided the lyrics). The form is patterned after his poem The House of Peers. The elements of the Gilbert are: written in 3 septets. metered, L1,L3,L4,L6,L7 are tetrameter , L2 and L5 are trimeter. rhymed, rhyme scheme xabbacc xdeedff etc. x being unrhymed. The House of Peers by WS Gilbert When Britain really ruled the waves - (In good Queen Bess's time) The House of Peers made no pretense To intellectual eminence, Or scholarship sublime; Yet Britain won her proudest bays In good Queen Bess's glorious days! When Wellington thrashed Bonaparte, As every child can tell, The House of Peers, throughout the war, Did nothing in particular, And did it very well; Yet Britain set the world ablaze In good King George's glorious days! And while the House of Peers withholds Its legislative hand, And noble statesmen do not itch To interfere with matters which They do not understand, As bright will shine Great Britain's rays, As in King George's glorious days! The Herrick makes use of alternating feminine and masculine end words. It is a verse form named for Robert Herrick (1591-1674) and patterned after his poem To the Virgins to Make Much Time. The elements of the Herrick are: stanzaic, a poem of 4 quatrains. metered, alternating tetrameter and trimeter lines. Odd number lines are tetrameter ,even numbered lines are trimeter. rhyme, rhyme scheme abab cdcd efef ghgh. Odd numbered lines are masculine rhyme, even numbered lines have feminine rhyme. To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time by Robert Herrick Gather ye rose-buds while ye may: Old Time is still a-flying; And this same flower that smiles to-day, To-morrow will be dying. The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun, The higher he's a-getting, The sooner will his race be run, And nearer he's to setting. That age is best which is the first, When youth and blood are warmer; But being spent, the worse, and worst Times still succeed the former. Then be not coy, but use your time, And while ye may go marry: For having lost but once your prime You may for ever tarry. The Kipling is a stanzaic form that uses anapestic and iambic meter with internal rhyme. Named for Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) and patterned after his poem L' Envoi. The elements of the Kipling are: stanzaic, written in any number of quatrains. metered, the odd numbered lines are hexameter, the even numbered lines are trimeter. The first metric foot of each line is an anapest followed by either 5 iambs or 2 iambs depending on the length of the line. rhymed, rhyme scheme aa-b-cc-b dd-e-ff-e etc. The odd numbered lines employ internal rhyme. L'Envoi by Rudyard Kipling There's a whisper down the field where the year has shot her yield, And the ricks stand gray to the sun, Singing: -- "Over then, come over, for the bee has quit the clover, And your English summer's done." You have heard the beat of the off-shore wind, And the thresh of the deep-sea rain; You have heard the song -- how long! how long? Pull out on the trail again! Ha' done with the Tents of Shem, dear lass, We've seen the seasons through, And it's time to turn on the old trail, our own trail, the out trail, Pull out, pull out, on the Long Trail -- the trail that is always new. It's North you may run to the rime-ringed sun, Or South to the blind Horn's hate; Or East all the way into Mississippi Bay, Or West to the Golden Gate; Where the blindest bluffs hold good, dear lass, And the wildest tales are true, And the men bulk big on the old trail, our own trail, the out trail, And life runs large on the Long Trail -- the trail that is always new. The days are sick and cold, and the skies are gray and old, And the twice-breathed airs blow damp; And I'd sell my tired soul for the bucking beam-sea roll Of a black Bilbao tramp; With her load-line over her hatch, dear lass, And a drunken Dago crew, And her nose held down on the old trail, our own trail, the out trail From Cadiz Bar on the Long Trail -- the trail that is always new. There be triple ways to take, of the eagle or the snake, Or the way of a man with a maid; But the fairest way to me is a ship's upon the sea In the heel of the North-East Trade. Can you hear the crash on her bows, dear lass, And the drum of the racing screw, As she ships it green on the old trail, our own trail, the out trail, As she lifts and 'scends on the Long Trail -- the trail that is always new? See the shaking funnels roar, with the Peter at the fore, And the fenders grind and heave ,And the derricks clack and grate, as the tackle hooks the crate, And the fall-rope whines through the sheave; It's "Gang-plank up and in," dear lass, It's "Hawsers warp her through!" And it's "All clear aft" on the old trail, our own trail, the out trail, We're backing down on the Long Trail -- the trail that is always new. O the mutter overside, when the port-fog holds us tied, And the sirens hoot their dread! When foot by foot we creep o'er the hueless viewless deep To the sob of the questing lead! It's down by the Lower Hope, dear lass, With the Gunfleet Sands in view, Till the Mouse swings green on the old trail, our own trail, the out trail, And the Gull Light lifts on the Long Trail -- the trail that is always new. O the blazing tropic night, when the wake's a welt of light That holds the hot sky tame, And the steady fore-foot snores through the planet-powdered floors Where the scared whale flukes in flame! Her plates are scarred by the sun, dear lass, And her ropes are taut with the dew, For we're booming down on the old trail, our own trail, the out trail, We're sagging south on the Long Trail -- the trail that is always new. Then home, get her home, where the drunken rollers comb, And the shouting seas drive by, And the engines stamp and ring, and the wet bows reel and swing, And the Southern Cross rides high! Yes, the old lost stars wheel back, dear lass, That blaze in the velvet blue. They're all old friends on the old trail, our own trail, the out trail, They're God's own guides on the Long Trail -- the trail that is always new. Fly forward, O my heart, from the Foreland to the Start -- We're steaming all-too slow, And it's twenty thousand mile to our little lazy isle Where the trumpet-orchids blow! You have heard the call of the off-shore wind, And the voice of the deep-sea rain; You have heard the song -- how long! how long? Pull out on the trail again! The Lord knows what we may find, dear lass, And The Deuce knows what we may do -- But we're back once more on the old trail, our own trail, the out trail, We're down, hull down on the Long Trail -- the trail that is always new. The Noyes is a stanzaic form using uneven short emphatic lines. It is named for English poet Alfred Noyes (1880-1958) patterned after Part II of his poem Art. Noyes is better known for The Highwayman. The elements of the Noyes are: stanzaic, written in any number of quatrains. metered, L1,L2,L4 are trimeter, L3 is monometer. abab cdcd efeg ghgh. Swiss Miss by Judi Van Gorder Art by Alfred Noyes I. Yes! Beauty still rebels! Our dreams like clouds disperse: She dwells In agate, marble, verse. No false constraint be thine! But, for right walking, choose The fine, The strict cothurnus, Muse. Vainly ye seek to escape The toil! The yielding phrase Ye shape Is clay, not chrysoprase. And all in vain ye scorn That seeming ease which ne'er Was born Of aught but love and care. Take up the sculptor's tool! Recall the gods that die To rule In Parian o'er the sky. II. Poet, let passion sleep Till with the cosmic rhyme You keep Eternal tone and time ,By rule of hour and flower, By strength of stern restraint And power To fail and not to faint. The task is hard to learn While all the songs of Spring Return Along the blood and sing. Yet hear from her deep skies, How Art, for all your pain, Still cries Ye must be born again! Reject the wreath of rose, Take up the crown of thorn That shows To-night a child is born. The far immortal face In chosen onyx fine Enchase, Delicate line by line. Strive with Carrara, fight With Parian, till there steal To light Apollo's pure profile. Set the great lucid form Free from its marble tomb To storm The heights of death and doom. Take up the sculptor's tool! Recall the gods that die To rule In Parian o'er the sky. The O'Shaughnessy is a verse form patterned after a single stanza in "Ode" by Arthur William Edgar O'Shaughnessy (1844-1881). The elements of the O'Shaughnessy are: stanzaic, written in any number of octaves. metered, sprung rhythm, alternating trimeter and tetrameter lines. The odd number lines are trimeter and the even number lines are tetrameter. rhymed, rhyme scheme abababab. The odd numbered lines are feminine rhyme and the even numbered lines are masculine rhyme. Ode by Arthur O'Shaughnessy WE are the music-makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams, Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams; World-losers and world-forsakers, On whom the pale moon gleams: Yet we are the movers and shakers Of the world for ever, it seems. With wonderful deathless ditties We build up the world's great cities, And out of a fabulous story We fashion an empire's glory: One man with a dream, at pleasure, Shall go forth and conquer a crown; And three with a new song's measure Can trample an empire down. We, in the ages lying In the buried past of the earth, Built Nineveh with our sighing, And Babel itself with our mirth; And o'erthrew them with prophesying To the old of the new world's worth; For each age is a dream that is dying, Or one that is coming to birth. The Phillimore is a stanzaic form that moves from dimeter to pentameter and back again. It is named for John Swinnerton Phillimore (1873-1926) and patterned after his poem In a Meadow. The elements of the Phillimore are: stanzaic written in any number of octaves. (original poem has 6 octaves) metered, L1, L4,L6 and L8 are dimeter, L2,L3,L5, and L7 are pentameter. rhymed, aabbccdd. In a Meadow by John Swinnerton Phillimore THIS is the place Where far from the unholy populace The daughter of Philosophy and Sleep Her court doth keep, Sweet Contemplation. To her service bound Hover around The little amiable summer airs, Her courtiers. The deep black soil Makes mute her palace-floors with thick trefoil; The grasses sagely nodding overhead Curtain her bed; And lest the feet of strangers overpass Her walls of grass, Gravely a little river goes his rounds To beat the bounds. No bustling flood To make a tumult in her neighborhood, But such a stream as knows to go and come Discreetly dumb. Therein are chambers tapestried with weeds And screen'd with reeds; For roof the waterlily-leaves serene Spread tiles of green. The sun's large eye Falls soberly upon me where I lie; For delicate webs of immaterial haze Refine his rays. The air is full of music none knows what, Or half-forgot; The living echo of dead voices fills The unseen hills. I hear the song Of cuckoo answering cuckoo all day long: And know not if it be my inward sprite For my delight, Making remembered poetry As sound in the ear Like a salt savor poignant in the breeze. Dreams without sleep And sleep too clear for dreaming and too deep, And Quiet very large and manifold, About me rolled. Satiety, that momentary flower Stretched to an hour. These are her gifts that all mankind can use: And all refuse. The Russell is a verse form composed of three alternating rhyme quatrains written with the first 3 lines iambic pentameter and the fourth line iambic trimeter. It is patterned after The Great Breath by George William Russell (1867-1935), The elements of the Russell are: stanzaic, written in 3 quatrains. metered, L1-L3 are pentameter and L4 is trimeter. rhymed, rhyme scheme abab cdcd efef, The Great Breath by George William Russell ITS edges foam'd with amethyst and rose, Withers once more the old blue flower of day: There where the ether like a diamond glows, Its petals fade away. A shadowy tumult stirs the dusky air; Sparkle the delicate dews, the distant snows; The great deep thrills--for through it everywhere The breath of Beauty blows. I saw how all the trembling ages past, Molded to her by deep and deeper breath, Near'd to the hour when Beauty breathes her last And knows herself in death. The Stephens is a stanzaic form that uses alternating rising and falling end syllables and is patterned after The Watcher and named for the English poet verseJames Stephens (1882-1950). The elements of the Stephens are: stanzaic, written in any number of sixains. (original poem has 5 sixains) metered, dimeter. rhymed, ababxb cdcdxd etc. x being unrhymed. composed with feminine endings in the odd numbered lines L1, L3 and L5 and masculine rhyme in the even numbered lines L2, L4, L6. The Watcher by James Stephens A rose for a young head, A ring for a bride, Joy for the homestead Clean and wide Who's that waiting In the rain outside? A heart for an old friend, A hand for the new: Love can to earth lend Heaven's hue Who's that standing In the silver dew? A smile for the parting, A tear as they go, God's sweethearting Ends just so Who's that watching Where the black winds blow ? He who is waiting In the rain outside, He who is standing Where the dew drops wide, He who is watching In the wind must ride (Tho' the pale hands cling) With the rose And the ring And the bride, Must ride With the red of the rose, And the gold cf the ring, And the lips and the hair of the bride. The Stevenson is an invented verse form patterned after the poem, Requiem by Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish poet 1850-1894. The elements of the Stevenson are: an octastich (8 line poem) made up of 2 quatrains. metric, L1-L3 & L5-L7 are iambic tetrameter, L4 & L8 are iambic trimeter. rhymed, rhyme scheme aaabcccb. Requiem by Robert Lewis Stevenson 1879 Under the wide and starry sky, Dig the grave and let me lie. Glad did I live and gladly die, And I laid me down with a will. This is the verse you grave for me: 'Here he lies where he longed to be; Here is the sailor, home from the sea, And the hunter home from the hill.' The Swinburne is a stanzaic form patterned after Before the Mirror by Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837-1909). The elements of the Swinburne are: stanzaic, written in any number of septets. metric, L1,L3,L5, & L6 are trimeter, L2 & L4 are dimeter, and L7 is pentameter. rhymed ababccb dedeffe etc, L1 & L3 have feminine or falling rhyme. Before the Mirror, Part I by Algernon Charles Swinburne I. White rose in red rose-garden Is not so white; Snowdrops that plead for pardon And pine for fright Because the hard East blows Over their maiden rows Grow not as this face grows from pale to bright. Behind the veil, forbidden Shut up from sight, Love, is there sorrow hidden, Is there delight? Is joy thy dower or grief, White rose of weary leaf, Late rose whose life is brief, whose loves are light? Soft snows that hard winds harden Till each flake bite Fill all the flowerless garden Whose flowers took flight Long since when summer ceased, And men rose up from feast, And warm west wind grew east, and warm day night. The Tennyson is a stanzaic form patterned after Ask Me No More by English poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson (1802-1892). The elements of the Tennyson are: stanzaic, written in any number of cinquains. metric, iambic, L1-L4 are pentameter and L5 is dimeter. rhymed, rhyme scheme abbaC deedC fggfC etc. written in with L5 as a refrain repeated from stanza to stanza. From the Heart by Judi Van Gorder Ask Me No More by Alfred Lord Tennyson Ask me no more: the moon may draw the sea; The cloud may stoop from heaven and take the shape, With fold to fold, of mountain or of cape; But O too fond, when have I answer'd thee? Ask me no more. Ask me no more: what answer should I give? I love not hollow cheek or faded eye: Yet, O my friend, I will not have thee die! Ask me no more, lest I should bid thee live; Ask me no more. Ask me no more: thy fate and mine are seal'd: I strove against the stream and all in vain: Let the great river take me to the main: No more, dear love, for at a touch I yield; Ask me no more. The Thorley is a stanzaic form patterned after the poem Chant for Reapers, by English poet, Wilfred Thorley 1878. The elements of the Thorley are: stanzaic, written in any number of quatrains. metred, accentual with alternating lines of L1 & L3 with 5 heavy stesses and L2 & L4 with 3 heavy stresses. The trimeter lines have feminine endings. unrhymed. Chant for Reapers by Wilfred Thorley WHY do you hide, O dryads! when we seek Your healing hands in solace? Who shall soften like you the places rough? Who shall hasten the harvest? Why do you fly, O dryads! when we pray For laden boughs and blossom? Who shall quicken like you the sapling trees? Who shall ripen the orchards? Bare in the wind the branches wave and break, The hazel nuts are hollow. Who shall garner the wheat if you be gone? Who shall sharpen his sickle? Wine have we spilt, O dryads! on our knees Have made you our oblation. Who shall save us from dearth if you be fled? Who shall comfort and kindle? Sadly we delve the furrows, string the vine Whose flimsy burden topples. Downward tumble the woods if you be dumb, Stript of honey and garland. Why do you hide, O dryads! when we call, With pleading hands up-lifted? Smile and bless us again that all be well; Smile again on your children. The Trench is an invented stanzaic form patterned after 20th century, Irish poet, Herbert Trench's A Charge, Ode From Italy in a Time of War. Trench was known for his love poems. The elements of the Trench are: stanzaic, may be written in any number of cinquains. metered, L1, L2, L4 pentameter, L3 dimeter, L5 trimeter. rhymed axbab, cxdcd etc… x being unrhymed. A Charge, Ode From Italy in a Time of War by Herbert Trench 1915 If thou hast squander'd years to grave a gem Commission'd by thy absent Lord, and while 'Tis incomplete, Others would bribe thy needy skill to them Dismiss them to the street! Should'st thou at last discover Beauty's grove, At last be panting on the fragrant verge, But in the track, Drunk with divine possession, thou meet Love Turn at her bidding back. When round thy ship in tempest Hell appears, And every spectre mutters up more dire To snatch control And loose to madness thy deep-kennell'd Fears Then to the helm, O Soul! Last; if upon the cold green-mantling sea Thou cling, alone with Truth, to the last spar, Both castaway, And one must perish let it not be he Whom thou art sworn to obey! The Yeats is a verse form patterned after Where My Books Go by Irish poet, William Butler Yeats. (1865-1939) The elements of the Yeats are: an octastich, a poem in 8 lines. metric, accentual 3 heavy stresses per line. rhymed, rhyme scheme xaxaxaxa x being unrhymed. The odd numbered lines have feminine or falling end syllables. Where My Books Go by William Butler Yeats All the words that I utter, And all the words that I write, Must spread out their wings untiring, And never rest in their flight, Till they come where your sad, sad heart is, And sing to you in the night, Beyond where the waters are moving, Storm-darken'd or starry bright.

Explore the Craft of Writing Poetry French Verse The Ballade is the dominant Old French form of the 14th and 15th centuries. The NPEOPP refers to the Ballade as "the vehicle of the greatest of early French poetry". It was brought to England by Chaucer who used the Ballade stanza for the Monk's Tale consequently the ballade stanza is also called the Monk's Tales Stanza. The Ballade gave birth to a whole family of forms, however it is not a relative nor should it be confused with the seemingly universal, "Ballad". The Ballade and its variations are relatively long, somewhat stingy with their rhyme allotment and always employ a refrain established in the last line of the first stanza which is repeated as the last line of each succeeding stanza including the envoy. The Ballade Envoy provides the climatic summation of the poem and in the early poems often began with the salutation, "Prince", to address the presiding judge of medieval poetic competitions. This earned the envoy the knick-name of "the prince". Although most Ballades and their variations usually include an envoy, they are sometimes written without. The defining features of the Ballade family of forms are: metered or syllabic. Most often written in lines of 8 syllables each, but in English, can be found in tetrameter or pentameter. Whatever verse is employed, lines should be all the same length. rhymed, the rhyme schemes are limited, employing only 3, 4 or 5 rhymes depending on the form, with no rhyme word being repeated throughout the poem. stanzaic, written in variable stanza lengths and envoy lengths depending on the form. The Ballade Stanza or Monk's Tale Stanza's elements are: an octave, usually written in conjunction with other stanzas. written without envoy. syllabic, 8 syllable lines. rhymed, usually ababbcbc Huitain, is a poem made up of a single Ballade Stanza without an envoy. The verse form was most popular in the 16th century and was often used for epigrams in the 18th century. One source suggests the Hutain may have begun in Spain with the simple 8 syllable by 8 line frame which is typical of early Spanish verse. Which came first and who influenced who, who knows. The French were sometimes known to use the frame for a collaborative poem between 2 or more poets. Each poet contributing a hutain around a central theme. The elements of the Huitain are: an octastich, an 8 line poem written in octasyllabic (8) lines, rhymed, the most common rhyme scheme ababbcbc. I'll Try AgainBedtime once more, the fight begins.It's prime to get a good night's sleep,instead, my mind's alert on pinsand needles, with thoughts in a heap.Sometimes I laugh, sometimes I weep.I think, I read, or watch TV,trying to distract, seeking the deepREM to set my weary brain free. ~~Judi Van Gorder The Ballade is 28 lines made up of 3 octaves or "ballade stanzas and concluded with a quatrain envoy. There are only 3 rhymes in the poem, rhyme scheme for all octaves ababbcbC, Ballade envoy bcbC C being the refrain. The Prodigals by Austin Dobson (1840-1921) "Princes!—and you, most valorous, Nobles and Barons of all degrees! Hearken awhile to the prayer of us,— Beggars that come from the over-seas! Nothing we ask or of gold or fees; Harry us not with the hounds we pray; Lo,—for the surcote's hem we seize,-- Give us—ah! give us—but Yesterday!" "Dames most delicate, amorous! Damosels blithe as the belted bees! Hearken awhile to the prayer of us,— Beggars that come from the over-seas! Nothing we ask of the things that please; Weary are we, and worn, and gray; Lo,—for we clutch and we clasp your knees,— Give us—ah! give us—but Yesterday!" "Damosels—Dames, be piteous!" (But the dames rode fast by the roadway trees.) "Hear us, O Knights magnanimous!" (But the knights pricked on in their panoplies.) Nothing they gat or of hope or ease, But only to beat on the breast and say:— "Life we drank to the dregs and lees; Give us—ah! give us—but Yesterday!" Youth, take heed to the prayer of these! Many there be by the dusty way,— Many that cry to the rocks and seas "Give us—ah! give us—but Yesterday!" Reluctant Ballade by Judi Van Gorder I never thought to write this form because of length and stingy rhyme The subject stuff, I did brain-storm, to structure verse is paradigm. It's a mountain for me to climb I prayed I wouldn't get this wrong and wished the tome would be sublime, reluctantly I write this song. I tried to make my lines conform, the sound should be a ringing chime, a challenge making me perform, my words resounding in their prime the opposite of pantomime. I know that this is getting long and reading it must take some time, reluctantly I write this song. Enough if it's received lukewarm, I pulled the words out from the grime and did my best to show, inform and though I'm close to done, still I'm running out of "ime" rhymes, a crime! No longer will this read prolong, it's getting close to dinnertime, reluctantly I write this song. My Prince, before you choose to slime, I hope that you'll just hit the gong 'cause I'll not earn a silver dime, reluctantly I write this song. Double Refrain ballade is also 28 lines made up of 3 octaves and concludes with a quatrain envoy with only 3 rhymes in the poem. However this form has 2 refrains L4 and L8 of the first stanza are repeated as refrains in L4 and L8 in the succeeding stanzas, rhyme scheme for all octaves abaBbcbC, Double Refrain envoy bBcC, B and C being refrains. Double Ballade also called "Double Ballade with Eight line stanza" doubles the stanza number of the Ballade. It is 52 lines made up of 6 octaves and ends with a quatrain envoy. The rhyme scheme remains consistent with the Ballade, throughout the poem it turns on only 3 rhymes, , all octaves rhyme ababbcbC Ballade envoy bcbC. If you think I am going to write one of these as an example, you're nuts. Dizain is a decastich, the whole poem made up of a single Ballade Supreme stanza, a 10 line stanza without an envoy. Lines of 8 or 10 syllables each with a rhyme scheme ababbccdcd. Dizain for the evolutionary socialist dream of edouard Bernstein by DC Martinson Sleep no more, you working classes, don't fight the pulse to congregate. Rise, you power of the masses, and from the grip of wealth luxate your dignity that is innate. Don't spill blood like those in power, don't prattle like those who cower behind the stench of flame and flag; for those who live in the tower will fall: we will not have to drag. Ups and Downs by Judi Van Gorder Warming Trends by Judi Van Gorder Living Still by Judi Van Gorder Ballade Supreme is 35 lines made up of 3 ten line stanzas and concludes with a quintet envoy. There are only 4 rhymes in the poem, rhyme scheme for all ten line stanzas ababbccdcD , Ballade Supreme envoy ccdcD, D being the refrain. a clown's smirk by ee cummings A clown's smirk in the skull of a baboon (where once good lips stalked or eyes firmly stirred) my mirror gives me, on this afternoon; i am a shape that can but eat and turd ere with the dirt death shall him vastly gird, a coward waiting clumsily to cease whom every perfect thing meanwhile doth miss; a hand's impression in an empty glove, a soon forgotten tune, a house for lease. I have never loved you dear as now i love behold this fool who, in the month of June, having of certain stars and planets heard, rose very slowly in a tight balloon until the smallening world became absurd; him did an archer spy(whose aim had erred never)and by that little trick or this he shot the aeronaut down, into the abyss -and wonderfully i fell through the green groove of twilight, striking into many a piece. I have never loved you dear as now i love god's terrible face, brighter than a spoon, collects the image of one fatal word; so that my life(which liked the sun and the moon) resembles something that has not occurred: i am a birdcage without any bird, a collar looking for a dog, a kiss without lips; a prayer lacking any knees but something beats within my shirt to prove he is undead who, living, none is. I have never loved you dear as now i love. Hell(by most humble me which shall increase) open thy fire! for i have had some bliss of one small lady upon earth above; to whom i cry, remembering her face, i have never loved you dear as now i love. Canto the ninth by DC Martinson Is Christ having supper with Marx? Who, by Him, would be turned away? Certainly Jesus, with His sparks Of oration, would not betray A common meal -- or common fray. He would eat with Karl, I am sure, And of his Grace He would outpour His Life and Words as food to eat. Bread and milk, too, He will procure: He shall sustain the whole, compleat. Is Christ debating in the parks With want-makers who naught but prey On basic needs; or with loan sharks Who bind the poor till dying day? Yes! First to be inside melee, The Son in power, I am sure, Will transform evil to be pure To God and us He is helpmeet; Our joys to share, sorrows endure: He shall sustain the whole, compleat. Is Christ concerned about trademarks Like Cross and Sickle? Or the way The many bibles have earmarks Such as James, Jerome, or Douay? Love God and neighbor: there's the play To be one with Christ. I am sure That God's Begotten has the cure. All will be saved and that's His feat! Each hell will be pro tem detour: He shall sustain the whole, compleat. In John we read of His grandeur By drawing all to him. The lure Is His alone -- what can compete With His plan to make sin obscure? He shall sustain the whole, compleat. And I, if I may be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself. John 12:32 Double Refrain Ballade Supreme is an American invention that is a slight twist on the Ballade Supreme and adds refrain. It repeats the 35 line poem made up of 3 ten line stanzas followed by a quintet envoy. Rhyme ababbCcdcD envoy cCdcD with C and D being the refrains. Double Ballade Supreme doubles the stanzas of the Ballade Supreme. It is 65 lines made up of 6 ten line stanzas and ends with a quintet envoy. There are only 4 rhymes in the poem, rhyme scheme for all stanzas ababbccdcD, Ballade Supreme envoy ccdcD D being the refrain. Grand Ballade or Chant Royal is written in 5 eleven line stanzas and concludes with a quintet envoy. There are only 5 rhymes in the poem, rhyme scheme for all 5 of the stanzas, ababccddedE Grand Ballade or Chant Royal envoy ddedE E being the refrain. The Dance of Death After Holbein by Austin Dobson (1840-1921) "Contra vim Mortis Non est medicamen in hortis." He is the despots' Despot. All must bide, Later or soon, the message of his might; Princes and potentates their heads must hide, Touched by the awful sigil of his right; Beside the Kaiser he at eve doth wait And pours a potion in his cup of state; The stately Queen his bidding must obey; No keen-eyed Cardinal shall him affray; And to the Dame that wantoneth he saith-- "Let be, Sweet-heart, to junket and to play." There is no King more terrible than Death. The lusty Lord, rejoicing in his pride, He draweth down; before the armed Knight With jingling bridle-rein he still doth ride; He crosseth the strong Captain in the fight; The Burgher grave he beckons from debate; He hales the Abbot by his shaven pate, Nor for the Abbess' wailing will delay; No bawling Mendicant shall say him nay; E'en to the pyx the Priest he followeth, Nor can the Leech his chilling finger stay . . . There is no King more terrible than Death. All things must bow to him. And woe betide The Wine-bibber,--the Roisterer by night; Him the feast-master, many bouts defied, Him 'twixt the pledging and the cup shall smite; Woe to the Lender at usurious rate, The hard Rich Man, the hireling Advocate; Woe to the Judge that selleth Law for pay; Woe to the Thief that like a beast of prey With creeping tread the traveller harryeth:-- These, in their sin, the sudden sword shall slay . . . There is no King more terrible than Death. He hath no pity, -- nor will be denied. When the low hearth is garnished and bright, Grimly he flingeth the dim portal wide, And steals the Infant in the Mother's sight; He hath no pity for the scorned of fate:-- He spares not Lazarus lying at the gate, Nay, nor the Blind that stumbleth as he may; Nay, the tired Ploughman,--at the sinking ray,-- In the last furrow,--feels an icy breath, And knows a hand hath turned the team astray . . . There is no King more terrible than Death. He hath no pity. For the new-made Bride, Blithe with the promise of her life's delight, That wanders gladly by her Husband's side, He with the clatter of his drum doth fright. He scares the Virgin at the convent grate; The Maid half-won, the Lover passionate; He hath no grace for weakness and decay: The tender Wife, the Widow bent and gray, The feeble Sire whose footstep faltereth,-- All these he leadeth by the lonely way . . . There is no King more terrible than Death. Youth, for whose ear and monishing of late, I sang of Prodigals and lost estate, Have thou thy joy of living and be gay; But know not less that there must come a day,-- Aye, and perchance e'en now it hasteneth,-- When thine own heart shall speak to thee and say,-- There is no King more terrible than Death. Double Chant Royal is an American version (or maybe I should say perversion) of the Chant Royal which I found at Poetry Base. The Double Chant Royal has 10 eleven line stanzas turned on only 5 rhymes. Rhyme scheme ababccddedE ending with a Chant Royal envoy rhymed ddedE. Double Refrain Chant Royal is an American twist on the Chant Royal which I also found at Poetry Base. It is still 5 eleven line stanzas followed by a quintain envoy with a change of rhyme and an added refrain. Rhyme ababcCcdedE CdedE. C and E are refrains. Ballade Royal is a departure from the standards of the Ballade family and more a variation on the Rhyme Royal. Follow this link to read more about the Ballade Royal with example.