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Xenolith


Tinker

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Invented Forms

The Xenolith is an invented form created only this last month, September 2011. Technically to be a recognized verse form there should be several poems written using the same frame otherwise it is simply a nonce form. But because Carol Ward, the inventor of this particular frame, at Random Thoughts named it beginning with X (there are no other forms beginning with X) and I enjoyed reading how and why it was named and created, I had to include it here as a full-fledged invented form. Maybe someone else will give it a try someday and make it official.

Xenolith is a rock formation of an older rock inside a newer rock, I liked that the poet chose this term not just for the unique X word but she conceptualized the definition to a poem within a poem. My mind is swirling trying to visualize an older poem inside a new poem captured within this unique frame. The frame could be a challenge with the irregular syllabic pattern in 15 lines, 7 of which are turned on only 1 rhyme.
The elements of the Xenolith are:

  1. a 15 line poem.
  2. syllabic, L1,L3,L5,L8,L11,L13 & L15 are 12 syllables each, L2,L4,L6,L7,L9,L10,L12 &L14 are 8 syllables each.
  3. turned on 5 rhymes, rhymed a b a b a c c a d d a e a e a. The 12 syllable lines carry a single rhyme, the 8 syllable lines are paired by rhyme even if not always by line position.

    x x x x x x x x x x x a
    x x x x x x x b
    x x x x x x x x x x x a
    x x x x x x x b
    x x x x x x x x x x x a
    x x x x x x x c
    x x x x x x x c
    x x x x x x x x x x x a
    x x x x x x x d
    x x x x x x x d
    x x x x x x x x x x x a
    x x x x x x x e
    x x x x x x x x x x x a
    x x x x x x x e
    x x x x x x x x x x x a

    No Guarantee by Carol Ward (a Xenolith)

~~ © ~~ Poems by Judi Van Gorder ~~

For permission to use this work you can write to Tinker1111@icloud.com

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