Forms Unique to Rainbow Communications

[Tinker]

Rainbow Communications is a website devoted to poetry hosted by Linda Varnell Smith, a published author of Young Adult books.   Ms Smith has written 3 poetry handbooks that she has posted online and includes traditional as well as invented form descriptions, often with an example poem.  She does not reveal the source or provide any history of the forms included but there are invented forms there that I have found nowhere else.  I am including them here.

The Argonelles is an invented stanziac form for which I have yet to find the source. I have however found two interpretations of the same form.  The older entry appears to be at  Rainbow Communications which employs two or more refrains. There is another version which is demonstrated at WCD by Neva aka Prosperous Snow as a simple syllabic rhymed quintain.  
The elements of the Argonelles as demonstrated by Linda Vernall Smith at Rainbow Communications are:

1. stanzaic, written in any number of quintains.
2. syllabic, syllables per line are 2-6-8-8-6
3. rhymed,  rhyme scheme ABccB  ADeeD  AFggF etc
4. The first line of each stanza is a repeated refrain from L1 of the poem.  L5 repeats L2 of each stanza but is not carried over into the next stanza.
   
   Today's Molly Adventure by Judi Van Gorder

The elements of the Argonelles as demonstrated at WCD are:

1. stanzaic, written in any number of quintains. (5 line stanzas)
2. syllabic, syllables per line are 2-6-8-8-6
3. rhymed, rhyme scheme xabba xcddc xeffe  x being unrhymed
   
   The Chase is On by Judi Van Gorder

Alpha Couplets is a stanzaic form using two patterns of rhyme, true  rhyme and alliterative rhyme.The elements of alpha couplets are:

1. stanzaic, made up of any number of couplets with or  without stanza breaks.
2. line length and meter are at discretion of poet.
3. rhymed, rhymed couplets, scheme aabbccddee etc. Alliterative rhyme is employed in L1 of each couplet. Three alliterative words must alliterate with and immediately precede the end word of L1 of each couplet. It is not necessary that either rhyme pattern be in alphabetical order.
4. The end word of odd numbered lines must be a noun.

Atom is a tiny poem counting letters instead of syllables. This can be tricky since we are so used to counting syllables. The elements of the Atom are:

1. stanzaic, Ms. Smith's description says 3 tercets but her example poem is written in 4 tercets. Therefore, I deduce the form is stanzaic and can be written in any number of tercets.
2. unmetered.  Letter count is used, letters per line 5-7-5
3. unrhymed
4. titled. The title creates the theme that links the tercets.
   
   Example poem

Beginning of Line Rhymed Sonnet or Head Rhymed Sonnet is an invented sonnet form by Linda Varsell Smith is simply a sonnet form but instead of being end rhymed, it is head rhymed. (the first word of the line is echoed with the first word of another line. The elements of the Head Rhymed Sonnet:

1. a quatorzain made up of 2 quatrains followed by a sestet.
2. iambic pentameter
3. head rhymed (the first word of a line is echoed with the first word of another line) aabb ccdd eeffgg
4. Pivot or volta at discretion of poet.

Eight-ette is a invented verse form introduced by Linda Varsell Smith that is a octastich which is a little out of the ordinary. The elements of the Eight-ette are:

1. an octastich, a poem in 8 lines.
2. syllabic, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8.
3. rhymed, rhyme scheme ababcdcd or aabbccdd.
4. centered on the page
   
   Super Blood Wolf Moon by Judi Van Gorder

Ethnographic Haiku appears to be the concept of Linda Varsell Smit of rainbowcommunications.org. It is basically 7, 5-7-5 haiku capturing a moment of each day of a week in relationship with an environmental "subject community". The elements of the Ethnographic Haiku are:

1. a verse form made up of 7 tercets.
2. syllabic, syllable 5-7-5. unrhymed.
3. composed using a minimum of 3 of the 5 senses.
4. each tercet represents a moment in one day. The 7 days should represent an entire week.
5. focused on the community or environment.
   
   Example poem.

Retrac is Carter spelled backwards. I have no idea why this invented form is named this way or what prompted the frame. The elements of the Retrac are:

1. a poem in 12 lines.
2. syllabic,  2-3-4-6-8-10-10-8-6-4-3-2 per line.
3. rhymed, rhyme scheme  a-a-b-b-c-c-c-c-b-b-a-a. 
4. centered on the page.
     Bonnie Homeland
   
   Scotland,
   bagpipe band,
   blue and red plaid,
   heritage through my Dad.
   Highland greenery calls to me
   I want to breathe its landscape and the sea.
   Tracing the path of my roots, I would be
   strapping on my boots to brashly
   walk among the gingers,
   meet no stranger
   Oh, so grand,
   Scotland.
   ~~jvg

[Tinker]

The Quadrette is a short form that counts words instead of syllables.  With this creation Linda Varsell Smith encourages the poet to play. 

The elements of the Quadrette are:

1. An octastich made up of two quatrains.
2. Lines measured by word count, not syllables. L1 thru L8 word count  1-2-3-4-4-3-2-1
   First quatrain word count L1 1, L2 2, L3 3, L4 4
   Second quatrain word count L5 4, L6 3, L7 2, L8 1
3. Rhymed, rhymed scheme abba cddc 
4. The poet is encouraged to experiment with number of stanzas, word counts, rhyme or no rhyme. 
   
   Play Day 
   
   Time
   to play,
   it is Saturday,
   day designed for sublime.
   Close the office doors
   work is done
   make fun . . .
   Roar!
           ~~jvg