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Where Doves Won't Fly The Eddas speak of Odin's spies, known as Memory and Thought. Two ravens with guttural cries winged form of a juggernaut. The watchers spread their jet black wings stalking man's mischievous ways. Storytellers and minstrels sing the legends of yesterdays. Much later, the bird warns of other woes immortalized by Edgar Allan Poe. ~~Judi Van Gorder Notes: ▼ The Eddas Two books from 13th Century Iceland, a collection of ancient poetry and a "how to write poetry" from ancient Nordic poets. The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Verse Form: Ravenfly

Explore the Craft of Writing Poetry Southeast Asian Verse The Philippine Islands is a Southeast Asia country located in the Western Pacific Ocean. Filipino poetry dates back before colonization and has been an intregal part of the Filipino culture. The earliest Tagalog epics are written in verse. Blue by Joel Josol A favorite of mine, a modern day, Filippino poet. Dawn, at the pier, without you, its blue cast holding tent, veils the colors of the day. The sky moves clouds, bluish grey and half-asleep, over waters undisturbed in its blueness. I sit at the platform's edge with crags, in silhouettes, before me watching the horizon lift the veil. The only remnant of the night is the lamp's light walking away, an old man. This beautiful glimpse, this dawn is short-lived, quickly dispersed like your glances. I look down on the waters, my reflection is all blue. Ambahan is ancient indigenous poetry found carved into bamboo on the Philippine island of Mindoro. The island is home to eight indigenous groups collectively called Mangyans. Two of the groups carved 7 syllable rhymed lines onto bamboo to record events such as marriage, birth, death, gatherings, and other cultural events. The poems were then chanted at the events The elements of the Ambahan are: written in any number of lines syllabic, 7 syllable lines rhymed, end rhyme as far as you can go, then create a new rhyme to go as far as it can go etc sharing cultural events A Place to Rest and Nest by Judi Van Gorder Never seen a yellow kitebirds of prey are not so brightsoaring high by day, some nightwith extraordinary sight.Tagalog prehistorytells us those birds caused the seato war with the sky, chieflyto make Earth, creatively. ~~Judi Van GorderMythical Tagalog story of creativity. Kites cause a war between the sky and the sea which created the earth where the kite had a place to rest and nest. Awit literally means song. This stanzaic form seems very similar to the Tanaga. It is unique in that a stanza should be one complete, grammatically correct, sentence. The elements of the Awit are: stanzaic, written in any number of quatrains. a narrative, it tells a story. dodecasyllabic, 12 syllables per line, there is usually a pause after the 6th syllable. rhymed, each stanza mono-rhymed aaaa bbbb cccc etc. composed with each stanza representing a complete, grammatically correct, sentence. composed liberally using various figures of speech. written anonymously. The Tanaga is a Filipino verse form that was originally composed in Tagolog, which to my ear is one of the more musical of languages. (Kumusta ka? Mabuti salam at) The form dates back to the 16th century and has an oral tradition. This old folk form had a resurgence of popularity in the 20th century, died down and resurfaced again mid 21st century. The poems are not titled. Originally it was a compact poem, contained in 4 lines, each is emotionally charged and asks a question that begs an answer. The elements of the Tanaga are: a tetrastich, a poem in 4 lines. However, modern poets have modified it to longer works in a stanzaic pattern of any number of quatrains. syllabic, 7-7-7-7 syllables per line. rhymed, originally monorhymed aaaa. Modern Tanagas also use aaaa bbbb etc., or aabb ccdd etc or abba cddc etc or any combination rhyme can be used. asks a question seeking an answer composed with the liberal use of metaphor. untitled. But in this poetic world we kind of have to title our poems for identity's sake. I'd Like to Think, It Knew Saintly sentinel stands guard, oversees nature's regard. St. Francis in my front yard, stone statue weathered and scarred. The welcome, silent and stead, his story of care is widespread. A brown bird lights on his head to peruse the garden bed. Do you think it may have known what the ancient priest had sown? In Christ he was never alone, love for all life he'd intone. ~~Judi Van Gorder

Explore the Craft of Writing Poetry French Verse The Trine is a verse form which apparently originated in France and is described at Poetry Base. Trine is Anglo-French meaning "three each" and in astronomy it is three planets 120 degrees adjacent to each other forming an equilateral triangle. The elements of the Trine are: a poem in 9 lines made up of 3 rhymed couplets followed by a tercet. isosyllabic, (same syllable count), using the French Heroic line, the Alexandrine. Since the Alexandrine line is more easily executed in French than in English, it would be appropriate to utilize the line at lease once, but it is not a prerequisite for all lines. (I use 9 syllable lines in the example below, only L7, L8 and L9 are an Alexandrine Line}. rhymed, rhyme scheme a a b b c c a b c. Trifling Trinity by Judi Van Gorder Cyclical Explosion by Judi Van Gorder 5-27-23 High pitch chatter comes out of the dark, a racing rat skitters through the park. On his tail a dragon breathing fire chasing the rodent into a briar. While up in a palm a monkey cheered and clapped his hands thinking nothing weird. This gay game they play, I must remark for some, it is nothing to aspire. though for this three, it's fun commandeered. One trine in Chinese Astrology is the Rat, the Dragon and the Monkey. The Trine is also the name of a popular Video Game, although I have no idea what the theme of the game is.

Explore the Craft of Writing Poetry Nordic Verse Edda Measures Old Story Measure or Fornyroislog of the 12th century Iceland Edda Measures “the old rules,” or “the manner of the old utterances.” is similar in form to the meter used in Beowulf. The elements of Old Story Measure are: stanzaic, written in any number of quatrains. accentual, written with 4 strong stresses per line. There are 2 or 3 unstressed syllables in each hemistich (half line) This is much like the Anglo Saxon Verse. composed with the 3rd stressed syllable of each line alliterating with either or both of the 1st and 2nd stressed syllable, but the 4th stress rarely alliterates within the line. Instead the 4th stressed syllable of the line can cross alliterate with the following line. Woe the Time by Judi Van Gorder The reign of Odin's raven ceased on the Feast of Freya. He fled at night, his wings beat black beyond the moon, memory gone, mad from his loss. The hordes wailed, "Woe the time!" The scream of the raven, the siren of death, his wisdom wantonly wasted, replaced by a villainous vapor. Valhalla forfeit! Völuspá (First stanza) Hljóðs bið ek allar meiri ok minni helgar kinder mögu Heimdallar Vildu at ek Valföðr vel fyr telja forn spjöll fira þau fremst um man translation by Henry Adam Bellows (First 2 stanzas) Hearing I ask from the holy races, From Heimdall's sons, both high and low; Thou wilt, Valfather, that well I relate Old tales I remember of men long ago. I remember yet the giants of yore, Who gave me bread in the days gone by; Nine worlds I knew, the nine in the tree With mighty roots beneath the mold.

Explore the Craft of Writing Poetry Welsh Verse Features of the Welsh Meters Welsh Codified Divisions Englyn proest gadwynog én-glin proyst ga-doy-nóg cadwyn or (chain of half-rhyme), the 8th codified Official Welsh Meter, an Englyn, is verse that employs both alternating full rhyme which half rhymes with the alternating full rhymes. To complicate things further no half rhyme may occur within the lines. The elements of the englyn proest gadwynog are: stanzaic, written in a chain of quatrains. syllabic, 7 syllable lines. rhymed, each line half rhymes with the next line and fully rhymes with the next. L1 and L3 fully rhyme with each other, L2 and L4 half rhyme with the rhyme of L1 and L3 and should fully rhyme with each other. The full rhymes of L1 and L3 half rhyme with the full rhyme of L1 and L3. chained, the last word of the stanza begins the next stanza. x x x x x x A x x x x x x a x x x x x x A x x x x x x a a x x x x x B x x x x x x b x x x x x x B x x x x x x b Kael or war koler euraid Karw Edwart mewn kaer ydwyd Kael o ebolion lonaid Kann ystabl yt, kwnstabl wyd. --- Dafydd Nanmor Warrior Woman by Judi Van Gorder Desired by all who've seen the royal fighting woman, Gweneviere the Warrior Queen, behold, King Arthur's chosen. Chosen from the very best appearing out from the mist stand beside him in his quest join Camelot's wedding feast. Feast of victory and peace lady takes her rightful place in time see injustice cease royals joined in married bliss. The Desert Palm by Stephen Arndt Like an upright spine, your trunk Grows as straight as any plank And, with roots so deeply sunk, Towers upwards, lean and lank. Lank as well, your long, green leaves, Ranged in spirals, spend their lives Capping a crown that receives But rare drops of rain, yet thrives. Thrive serene in heartless heat, Poised upon your peaceful height; See us speed our hurried feet, Watch us flee in hasty flight. Flight or fight of little ants Scrapping over scant amounts Thus must seem our frantic dance When you total our accounts.

The Unicorn, Guardian of Dreams - final revision The winter moon echoes off her pale form beaming light into darkness where violet eyes scan for threats against her young charges. Silently she picks her way through forest undergrowth . where soft earth cushions diamond crusted hooves From the tip of her horn stardust twists into the evening air carrying xenias for the wise while sapphires braided into her mane flirt with the night. Unbridled, she runs free across the meadows of imagination, her silken tail held high, a queen's standard. Though kings court her, only a child can lead her. ---------- ---Judi Van Gorder