Hexaverse, Diminishing Hexa & Increasing Hexa

[Tinker]

Explore the Craft of Writing Poetry
Invented Forms

• Hexaverse (hexa = six / verse = line or unit of lines) by definition this invented form refers to six, six syllable lines. Examples of the form found on a couple of science fiction websites, display the Hexaverse to be a hexastich of 6 syllable lines. Describing each line being unique yet related to the other six. The elements of the Hexaverse are:
  1. a hexastich, a poem in 6 lines.
  2. syllabic, 6 syllable lines.
  3. unrhymed.
      
• Diminishing Hexaverse is an invented form which can be found in various poetry communities and blogs across the web without any reference to its source. Most use the same definition which strangely ignores the meaning of hexa and describe the form with only 5 stanzas, diminishing from 5 lines and 5 syllables each to 4 lines and 4 syllables each and so on ending in a single stich of 1 syllable. With that description the frame would better be termed a Diminishing Pentaverse. Finally I came upon a site that seems to me to get it right at Tir na nOg, diminishing from 6 lines of 6 syllables each to 5 lines of 5 syllables each and so on to a single stich of one syllable and my faith was restored. I have to believe the original concept began with the 6 line beginning and was somehow corrupted to only 5 stanzas along the way and the lemmings followed. The form is fine with 6 or 5 stanzas but it just makes more sense to me to use the correct terminology to reflect the frame used. The elements of the Diminishing Hexaverse are:
  1. a poem in diminishing 6 stanzas, made up of a sixain, followed by quintet, followed by a quatrain, followed by a tercet followed by couplet and ending in a single stich.
  2. syllabic, L1-L6 6 syllables each, L7-L11 5 syllables each, L12-L15 4 syllables each, L16-L18 3 syllables each, L19-L20 2 syllables each and finally L21 1 syllable.
  3. unrhymed.

     x x x x x x
     x x x x x x
     x x x x x x
     x x x x x x
     x x x x x x
     x x x x x x
     
     x x x x x
     x x x x x
     x x x x x
     x x x x x
     x x x x x
     
     x x x x
     x x x x
     x x x x
     x x x x
     
     x x x
     x x x
     x x x
     
     x x
     x x
     
     x

• Increasing Hexaverse is the exact opposite of the Diminishing Verse. beginning with a single stich of 1 syllable and increasing lines and syllables per line ending with a 6 line, 6 syllable each stanza.

[Tinker]

bump