This one is TRICKY, but fun, so stay with me and read carefully! The word quatrain is derived from the French word for the number four: quatre
Every poet should know how to write a
quatrain, as it is the basis of a number of other poetry styles. Quatrain poems can be one stand-alone 4 line
poem OR you can string two or more together to create a longer poem, BUT you
will want to stay in the same rhyming pattern (like ABAB – see more on that
further on). . .
You get to choose your rhyming pattern, but
you must
maintain that exact pattern throughout the poem, no matter how many verses you
choose to write. Each quatrain has four lines with
a specific rhyming pattern, BUT there are lots of rhyming patterns out there. Basically, depending on which
source you check, ANY of 12 patterns can work, but the lines with ending words that
rhyme SHOULD have the same number of syllables as each other. The most
common are AAAA, AABB and ABAB.
SO, if lines 1 & 3 rhyme, and lines 2 & 4 rhyme, you
would have an ABAB rhyming pattern. (Remember EACH set of rhyming lines should have the same
number of syllables).
OR, if lines 1 & 2 rhyme, and lines 3 & 4 rhyme, you would have
an AABB rhyming pattern. (Again, rhyming lines should have
the same number of syllables).
The actual “quatrain” is ONE verse – but you
can always string a bunch of them together to create a “quatrain poem” which
can have any number of quatrains in it, including just one. (You can do this if
you are ambitious).
In
fact, you most likely already have a quatrain poem memorized. “Roses are Red”
would be a prime example of a quatrain, with an ABCB pattern. ONLY lines 2 and
4 even rhyme in “Roses are red . . .”
You
can also use an AAAA, an AABB, or AABA, or BBCB or basically whatever – but the
ending words should rhyme with each other in one pattern or another and
whichever ones rhyme with each other, should have the same number of syllables.
And YES!! PLEASE use the SYLLABLE COUNTER (link) –
y’all write these great poems, but when I check them (and yes, I frequently do)
in the syllable counter, they don’t always match. (Sometimes I’ll notify the
poet in case they want to make corrections, other times, I just let it slip by).
But I know you would be VERY surprised when you think you have counted it out
and then check it find you are off. Just sayin’
Many hymns are quatrains;
most of Emily Dickinson’s poems were made up of quatrains, as are many Nursery
Rhymes.
It may sound like a lot to think about, but
it’s not that hard ~ IF you keep track of your syllable count and your ending
rhymes on each line, according to the pattern you are using. So, hey, give it a
shot. J
EXAMPLES:
Here’s one I wrote
today. It has an ABAB pattern throughout and every line is exactly 7 syllables.
(With a VERY long title. LOL. But I found a few classic quatrains online with
even LONGER titles, so) . . .
They Say Age is All
in Your Mind, but No One Tells the Body!!
Old is a relative
word
In my mind, I'm
twenty-three
You may think, well,
that's absurd
But it doesn't seem
so to me!
I go to do something
fun
But my body says,
"No way!"
Before I can start,
I'm done.
And so on the couch,
I stay
©
2025 Stephanie Abney
Here’s an old
quatrain of mine ~ It has an AABB pattern and lines 1 & 2 are 8 syllables
while lines 3 & 4 are 7 syllables:
Where Am I?
You
wonder where I’ve been all day.
I must admit, it’s hard to say.
Over here and over there.
I guess I’ve been everywhere.
© 2014 Stephanie Abney
Here’s
another one, also with an AABB pattern and two verses. << interesting
note here >> the syllable counter counted line one as having 7 syllables,
even with the periods after each letter of A.D.D. – it counted it as “add” ~ I
had to double check repeatedly until I figured that out. Sheesh – so line one
has 9 syllables, just like line two, and the next two lines have 10 syllables –
this works with my AABB pattern; same on verse two. OK, just pay attention, and
this will be fun! Cheers!!
Did
Someone Say “Squirrel?”
My “to-do” list is a sight to see.
I start one thing, then switch to something new.
I am exhausted when the day is through!
There are ways I have learned to cope,
I sort things in a different tote.
One is for reading and one is for art,
I have so many totes, where do I start?
© 2022 Stephanie Abney
Okay –
whatcha’ got for quatrains?
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