Author: | Nola | Published: | about 9 years ago |
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Tags: | trimeric, tritina, villanelle, sestina, poetry | Category: | Writing tips |
Repetition can be a sign of lazy or unimaginative writing, but there are other times when it can really add zing to your work. Here are some poetic forms that make good use of repetition.
Trimerics
A trimeric consists of one verse with four lines (a quatrain) and three verses of three lines (tercets). Verses 2, 3 and 4 begin with Lines 2, 3 and 4 from the first verse respectively. Here’s the pattern, with numbers representing the lines: 1234 / 2 - - / 3 - - / 4 - -. When done well, the repetition of the lines can provide an added punch while also highlighting other aspects of the theme. The stronger your first verse, the easier it will be to write the subsequent verses, so spend some time honing that first one. Also try to think of lines that have the potential to carry a thought through a verse of their own. You can find one of my trimerics here. Do you think the repetition adds to the impact of this poem? I’d be interested in your feedback.
Tritinas and Sestinas
A Tritina is a 10-line poem consisting of three tercets and a concluding line. The last words of each line in Verse 1 are repeated at the ends of lines in the remaining verses in a set pattern of 123 / 312 / 231, with the final line containing all three words in the order 123. As the conclusion is vital to the rest of the poem, you might find it helpful to think of your theme first and then construct a good last line. Then go back and fill in the rest of the poem. If you have trouble making it work, try going back and altering some of the words until you find the most effective combination. Although there is no set rhythm or rhyme, it works best if the lines are roughly the same length. You can find an example of a tritina here.
The Sestina is a similar form, but with six verses of six lines each (sestets) and a concluding tercet. You can find the pattern for the repeating words here.
Villanelles
The Villanelle is more complicated. It’s a 19-line poem arranged into five tercets and a concluding quatrain. The first and third lines of the first verse are repeated in a set pattern and there is also a particular rhyming scheme. The pattern is: A1 b A2 / a b A1 / a b A2 / a b A1 / a b A2 / a b A1 A2. In that sequence, the capitals indicate the repeated lines or refrains. All of the lines denoted by the same letter (whether lowercase or capitals) rhyme. It may seem a little confusing, but if you look at the following example of Dylan Thomas’s famous villanelle Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night, the pattern is spelled out next to each line.
If you’d like to try one of these forms, perhaps start with one of the easier ones such as a trimeric or tritina. But be warned. They can be addictive!
Comments read 4 comments
I love trimerics and enjoyed the tritina I tried for Month of Poetry - maybe I should have a go at the Sestina or Villanelle next.
Hi Jenny - I think trimerics are still my favourite, but I'd like to try more tritinas. The one I did for MOPs had too many differences in line length. Would like to try to edit it to get it more uniform.
I've written a couple of sestinas and I think they turned out pretty well - one was in an anthology. However, I've learned that you really need to work on your conclusion first. It's no use having a great poem if you can't get those last three lines right. The first sestina I wrote was going well until I got to those last three lines and I just couldn't make a sensible conclusion with the words in the right order. Another trick is to try to include at least some words that can be used in a different context, as that gives you a bit more scope. For example, a word like 'face' could be a noun or verb and each of those can also have different meanings (e.g., a person's face, the face of a clock, we have to face problems head on, something seems okay on the face of it, do an about face, etc). It just gives you more options if you have a couple of those types of words.
I've tried villanelles but I've yet to write a good one. They're hard :) I'll look forward to seeing what you come up with Jenny. Thanks for your comment.
Great tips Nola :) Thanks for this series on poetry. I'm enjoying it.
Thanks for your encouragement Jenny :)
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