Day 30 ~ Let’s write a “Tetractys Poem” for #NationalPoetryMonth and "30 poems in 30 days"

Well, this is it! Poetry Month is over. Thanks for joining me on this 30-day challenge. Y’all have written some impressive poetry. I hope you have enjoyed it.

Let’s end with kind of a cool poetry form. I’ve only used it twice before during poetry month. It’s called a Tetractys poem. It has some mathematical components to it if you want to write more than one stanza, so don’t just read the initial instructions and rush off to write one – read to the end and decide if you want to write more than one verse.

This poetic form was created by Ray Stebbing and consists of 20 total syllables (per verse). SO COUNT YOUR SYLLABLES CAREFULLY. It can be one stand-alone verse, OR several verses, with no need for a title and no need for rhyming (although you can rhyme if you wish), but must be arranged in the following fashion:

Line 1 ~ one syllable
Line 2 ~ two syllables
Line 3 ~ three syllables
Line 4 ~ four syllables
Line 5 ~ TEN syllables

So, that’s the basic outline, but things get more interesting than that! This could be a magical poem for you! The ancient Greek mathematician, Euclid of Alexandria, felt the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 were magical because they add up to TEN. And there are your first ten syllables. The final ten syllables all fall on the last line.

And that can stand alone as a complete Tetractys poem.

However, there can also be Double and Triple Tetractys poems, etc., simply by reversing the process.

Here’s an example of the form for more than one verse:

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

            (If you want a third verse, flip it again, etc.)

X
X•X
X•X•X
X•X•X•X
X•X•X•X•X•X•X•X•X•X

             

            (You can make as many verses as you wish, as long as each subsequent verse   
            is reversed from the previous one in terms of the syllable count).

 

Here are a couple of examples:    

Birds
Flying
Migrating
On a journey
Their ancestors have taken before them

 

And then, when the time is right, they head back
Flying again
To the place
They call
Home

 

Do
Humans
Search the Earth
Not quite content
Looking in all the wrong places for home

 

Then finding their way through service and love
Leading them where
Heavenly
Parents
Wait

                    © 2025 Stephanie Abney

 

Here’s one I wrote a few years ago:          

Love
As true
And sweet as
Ours can only
Grow with forgiveness, humor, and patience
 

                        © 2019 Stephanie Abney

 

 

PLEASE REMEMBER ~ any poetry found on this blog, written by me, is my personal property and may not be used without my permission, other than sharing it as an example in a lesson or to read it to someone. The same goes for any poems that are shared in the comments of this blog or elsewhere online as a result of this challenge. They are the creative property of the person who writes them. These poems are their original work and no one may use them without their permission. It is understood that they own the copyright to them as soon as they write them and especially as soon as they post them. Thanks so much!

Also, if you choose to post your poems on your own blog ~ that’s awesome. But PLEASE don’t just copy and paste my daily instructions, but rather post your poem on your blog or your FB wall or wherever AND LINK BACK TO THIS BLOG POST for others to come here to read the instructions. I’ve spent considerable time researching the poetry forms and writing them up to share with you. Thanks for respecting my work and the creative work of others.

Day 29 2025 ~ Let’s write some “Rainbow poems, 3 ways” (including new format: “When I think of . . . I think of . . .”) for #NationalPoetryMonth ~ "30 poems in 30 days"

Well, poetry month is drawing to a close. This has been my 13^th year running this challenge. Even though I only feature 30 poetry forms, one poetry format per day (sometimes it feels like more if that format has variations), there are nearly 200 poetry forms that I have come across in doing this. New poetry forms continue to be invented. IN FACT, I have invented one myself. And it will be one of your options today.

Two basic templates for writing about rainbows that school teachers often use are an Acrostic Poem, where you write the word “rainbow” down the left side of the paper, and each line must begin with the letter on the left. Or you can name each color in order and say something about the color or what it reminds you of, using either similes or metaphors. (A simile uses the word ‘like’ or ‘as’ to make a comparison, whereas metaphors use ‘is’ or ‘are’). I have a couple of samples from years gone by when I was teaching. And I also added the new form that I invented. It can be about anything, but I chose to write a poem about rainbows in keeping with today’s “theme.”                

 

Rainbow poems, 3 ways (including “When I think of . . . I think of . . .)

 

OK, the premise of my invented poem, “When I think of . . . I think of . . .” is that when you think of some things, they often make you think of something else. In this case, you’ll be listing various things that make you think of the SAME thing. In my example I list a number of things, with each line beginning with “When I think of ____” and ending with “I think of ______” that cause me to think of rainbows. See poem below. It can have any number of lines, but they all start the same: “When I think of ____” and then name the various things you are thinking of, but the ending of EACH sentence needs to remain constant, in this case, “I think of rainbows.” Your title will be whatever it is that you end up thinking of. (This poetry format was invented by Stephanie Abney, retired teacher and poetry instructor, in 2025).

 

<<If you wish to try out my new little format, it does NOT need to be about rainbows, that’s just what I came up today and it fit the theme I gave to today>> But, just feel free to use any subject and keep it the same ending subject with each line and state something different in the beginning each line, following the format, “When I think of”

 

                        I Think of Rainbows

When I think of new beginnings, I think of rainbows.

 When I think of a summer storm while the sun still shines, I think of rainbows.

When I think of hope, I think of rainbows.

When I think of children laughing, I think of rainbows.

When I think of the beauty of nature, I think of rainbows.

When I think of family and friends, I think of rainbows.

When I think of God’s love, I think of rainbows.

                                                 © 2025 Stephanie Abney

 

If you name each color, don’t forget your “ROY G. BIV” you learned as a kid: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

I’ve highlighted each color for clarity’s sake.

 

                A Rainbow is . . .

 

Red is strong, like the safety of your arms

Orange is exciting, like the dawning of a new day

Yellow is soft, like a downy new chick

Green is for growth, like a plant bursting through the dirt

Blue is forever, like the ocean

Indigo is spiritual, like the conviction to do what is right

Violet is peaceful, like a newborn babe looking into your eyes

                            

                                      © 2020 Stephanie Abney

 

Here is an example of an ACROSTIC Rainbow poem:

Reaching across the sky

Announcing God’s Promise

Is a glorious rainbow

Never again will He flood the earth

Blessings are waiting just

Over the rainbow

Wait and see

                             © 2020 Stephanie Abney

 

Photo is mine, © Stephanie Abney

PLEASE REMEMBER ~ any poetry found on this blog, written by me, is my personal property and may not be used without my permission, other than sharing it as an example in a lesson or to read it to someone. The same goes for any poems that are shared in the comments of this blog or elsewhere online as a result of this challenge. They are the creative property of the person who writes them. These poems are their original work and no one may use them without their permission. It is understood that they own the copyright to them as soon as they create them and especially once they post them. Thanks so much!

*** Also, if you choose to post your poems on your own blog or elsewhere on social media ~ that’s awesome. But PLEASE don’t just copy and paste my daily instructions, but rather post your poem on your blog or your FB wall or wherever AND LINK BACK TO EACH DAY’S SPECIFIC BLOG POST for others to come here to read the instructions. I’ve spent considerable time researching the poetry forms and writing them up to share with you. Thanks for respecting my work.

Day 28 2025 ~ Let’s write a “Pleiades Poem” for #NationalPoetryMonth and "30 poems in 30 days"

This poetry form might be rather unfamiliar. I discovered it about seven years ago, but have only used it twice in Poetry Month since then.

It’s called a Pleiades Poem! It was created in 1999 by Craig Tigerman, Editor Emeritus of Sol Magazine, which appears to have been a poetry journal that is no longer in publication. At any rate, he named it for a star cluster in the constellation Taurus, “The Pleiades.”

It has some interesting requirements. You can ONLY use ONE word for the title of the poem. It ONLY has ONE stanza that is SEVEN LINES (so don’t go creating additional verses – this form only has one).

AND here is the TRICKY and FUN part ~ VERY specific!!

The FIRST letter of each of the following 7 lines MUST start with the same letter as the first letter of the title of the poem. Kind of reminds me of those families who named every one of their kids with names that begin with the same letter.

So this poetic form lends itself to a lot of alliteration!! Fun stuff!!

We will write ours as Craig Tigerman first designed it (others have tried to add syllable requirements, etc.), but Tigerman only said it had to be a single word title, with seven lines, each line beginning with the same first letter as the title.

If you want some help coming up with words that start with the same letter you can go here and choose your letter and find lots of words that start with that letter:

http://wordfinder.yourdictionary.com/words-that-start/

Another useful site: http://phrontistery.info/ihlstart.html Dictionary of Unusual Words – just click on the letter of your choice and you get a plethora of unique words with brief definitions.

I’m not going to be able to write a new poem today, so I’ll share a few examples of previous poems I have written in this method, starting with the first one I tried (so silly) about cucumbers – pretty typical of the style. Then, a couple of years later, when we were in the midst of the pandemic, I found myself discouraged, so I wrote the first poem, and then I decided to look for some silver linings and wrote the next poem and put a “vs” between them. None of that is part of the poetry form for a Pleiades poem, except that I started every line in both contrasting poems with the letter C, but actually, I think it was kind of brilliant and if any of you want to put together a "something vs. something" poem in the same manner, that might be fun to read. Either way, here ya’ go . . .

Oh, the examples I saw online have the first line start with a capital letter and the rest start with a lowercase letter, and the final line ends with a period. (You can insert commas where needed). Okay, so here are my examples:

Cucumbers

Crinkly edges,
crunchy, crisp, and
creeping vine bearing
cucumiform fruits,
cultivated plant,
comes from the gourd family,
cucurbitaceae.

    

           © 2018 Stephanie Abney

 

 

 

 

COVID19

Cunning coronavirus has

closed businesses, cancelled school, trips, graduation,

choir concerts, prom, and more, as

captive, crying, frightened citizens, stay

completely away from others, covering their faces with masks, causing

concern, sadness, fear, and discouragement as our

constitutional rights, health, loved ones, and careers are in jeopardy.

                                      © 2020 Stephanie Abney

VS

COVID19

Challenging the creativity and endurance of officials, healthcare workers,

caregivers, first responders, families, and teachers, who are

creating online curriculum and classrooms, activities, and connections,

capable of bringing students and loved ones together,

cherishing time to think, reflect, and draw families close

completing long overdue projects, while finding time to read, draw, and make beautiful art

completely content to be at home, hoping and praying together for the best and quickest outcome, while consuming chocolate and unusual culinary creations made from whatever is on their shelves.

                                      © 2020 Stephanie Abney

 

 

PLEASE REMEMBER ~ any poetry found on this blog, written by me, is my personal property and may not be used without my permission, other than sharing it as an example in a lesson or to read it to someone. The same goes for any poems that are shared in the comments of this blog or elsewhere online as a result of this challenge. They are the creative property of the person who writes them. These poems are their original work and no one may use them without their permission. It is understood that they own the copyright for to them as soon as they post them. Thanks so much!

Also, if you choose to post your poems on your own blog ~ that’s awesome. But PLEASE don’t just copy and paste my daily instructions, but rather post your poem on your blog or your FB wall or wherever AND LINK BACK TO THIS BLOG POST for others to come here to read the instructions. I’ve spent considerable time researching the poetry forms and writing them up to share with you. Thanks for respecting my work. 

Day 27 2025 ~ Let’s write an “Octopoem” for #NationalPoetryMonth ~ "30 poems in 30 days"

An “Octopoem” is a fun little poem that has 8 lines, each with a specific requirement.

Pick a topic of your choice and describe it in EIGHT lines. Each line can be as long as you choose and does not need to rhyme or anything of that nature, but use only one sentence per line. You can give your octopoem a title or just start right out with line 1.

It seems to be best suited to describe a person, but you can get creative and describe a pet or even an object, etc.). Have fun!!

HOWEVER, the only thing you DO need to follow is the order of the descriptions you use for each of the 8 lines about your poem.

An octopoem has 8 lines describing the topic (or pet or person, whatever):

Line 1: include a color
Line 2: include a season
Line 3: include a place
Line 4: include the weather
Line 5: include clothing
Line 6: include furniture
Line 7: include a TV show
Line 8: include a food

 

Both of these poems are good examples; one about one of my grandsons when he was little, and one about my dad:

My Grandson, My Friend

His favorite color is green.
He is a breath of fresh Spring air.
He loves to be wherever I am.
We love to play in the rain.
If it's green, it's clean and ready to wear.
When I can't find him, he's usually hiding behind a chair.
If “Wild Kratts” is on, we are good to go.
He likes to eat everything as long as it is a peanut butter sandwich.                                                                 

                                                                    © 2015 Stephanie Abney

 

I Miss You, Daddy

My dad’s eyes were blue, his favorite color
He loved to garden in the spring and summer
In what used to be our backyard lawn
The Southern California weather was perfect
He wore comfortable clothes to garden in, often rolling up the cuffs of his pants
He could sit outside on the patio lounge chair for hours, enjoying life at that moment
Unless it was time for “The Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy”
He’d close each day with a bowl of ice cream

 

                                         © 2019 Stephanie Abney

Photo1 by DivvyPixel at Pixabay

Photo 2 courtesy of Stephanie Abney 

PLEASE REMEMBER ~ any poetry found on this blog, written by me, is my personal property and may not be used without my permission, other than sharing it as an example in a lesson or to read it to someone. The same goes for any poems that are shared in the comments of this blog or elsewhere online as a result of this challenge. They are the creative property of the person who writes them. These poems are their original work and no one may use them without their permission. It is understood that they own the copyright to them as soon as they create them and especially once they post them. Thanks so much!

*** Also, if you choose to post your poems on your own blog or elsewhere on social media ~ that’s awesome. But PLEASE don’t just copy and paste my daily instructions, but rather post your poem on your blog or your FB wall or wherever AND LINK BACK TO EACH DAY’S SPECIFIC BLOG POST for others to come here to read the instructions. I’ve spent considerable time researching the poetry forms and writing them up to share with you. Thanks for respecting my work.

 

 

 

 

 

Day 26 2025 ~ Let’s write a “Quatrain” for #NationalPoetryMonth ~ "30 poems in 30 days"

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). . .

BUT it’s not quite as easy as it sounds. There are very specific guidelines to follow. And this format is full of OPTIONS – so please pay attention:

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?”

It seems I have raging A.D.D.
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?

PLEASE REMEMBER ~ any poetry found on this blog, written by me, is my personal property and may not be used without my permission, other than sharing it as an example in a lesson or to read it to someone. The same goes for any poems that are shared in the comments of this blog or elsewhere online as a result of this challenge. They are the creative property of the person who writes them. These poems are their original work and no one may use them without their permission. It is understood that they own the copyright to them as soon as they create them and especially once they post them. Thanks so much!

*** Also, if you choose to post your poems on your own blog or elsewhere on social media ~ that’s awesome. But PLEASE don’t just copy and paste my daily instructions, but rather post your poem on your blog or your FB wall or wherever AND LINK BACK TO EACH DAY’S SPECIFIC BLOG POST for others to come here to read the instructions. I’ve spent considerable time researching the poetry forms and writing them up to share with you. Thanks for respecting my work.

Day 25 2025 ~ Let’s write a “Parts of Speech Grammar Poem” for #NationalPoetryMonth ~ "30 poems in 30 days"

The teacher in me LOVES poems that deal with grammar – this one is a very easy and fun poetry form. It is simple but precise, as it reinforces different aspects of grammar.

This grammar poem form is five lines long and focuses on very particular parts of speech as follows:

 Directions:

Line 1. Write a noun for the subject (THIS serves as your TITLE as well)

Line 2. Write two adjectives joined by and to describe this noun

Line 3. Must include a verb and an adverb to describe this noun in action

Line 4. Start it with like or as followed by a comparison

Line 5. Start it with if only followed by a wish

Remember: Most adverbs tell you how, where, or when something is done, and MANY (but certainly not all) adverbs end in “ly.” [quickly, carefully, early, happily, etc.] In other words, they describe the manner, place, or time of an action. In fact, here’s a link about adverbs if you are unsure. Some may surprise you: ADVERBS 

Here’s an example:

 

 

Kitty
Entertaining and curious
Lying on my keyboard lazily
Like the Queen of Sheba
If only she would nap somewhere else

             © 2025 (updated) Stephanie Abney 

 

(Photo courtesy of Rozann Taylor, used with permission)

 

PLEASE REMEMBER ~ any poetry found on this blog, written by me, is my personal property and may not be used without my permission, other than sharing it as an example in a lesson or to read it to someone. The same goes for any poems that are shared in the comments of this blog or elsewhere online as a result of this challenge. They are the creative property of the person who writes them. These poems are their original work and no one may use them without their permission. It is understood that they own the copyright to them as soon as they create them and especially once they post them. Thanks so much!

*** Also, if you choose to post your poems on your own blog or elsewhere on social media ~ that’s awesome. But PLEASE don’t just copy and paste my daily instructions, but rather post your poem on your blog or your FB wall or wherever AND LINK BACK TO EACH DAY’S SPECIFIC BLOG POST for others to come here to read the instructions. I’ve spent considerable time researching the poetry forms and writing them up to share with you. Thanks for respecting my work.

Day 24 2025 ~ Let’s write a “Tan-Renga Poem” for #NationalPoetryMonth ~ "30 poems in 30 days"

This is quite a fun poetry form – we’ve done it a few times before. But I like it so here ya’ go:

OK, so don’t freak out, but you’ll need to grab a partner because we are going to write a “Tan-Renga,” a Japanese poem of collaboration. It’s fun, really. Here’s the thing – you will need to find someone to write this SHORT – 5 line poem with. Even if you live alone, you can find someone. It can be done together, in person, or over the phone, or via text, or email, or whatever works for you. Your partner in writing this poem can be a spouse, a child, a neighbor, a friend; heck, it can be your mail carrier – just someone other than yourself needs to help write this poem.

This is basically a Tanka poem BUT with one catch ~ one person writes the first three lines (I’ll review the pattern for a Tanka poem below – it’s only 5 lines) and the second person finishes off the poem with the last two lines, almost as if in response to your first three lines.

The name, Tan-Renga (from Japanese), translates as "short linked poem" or "short connecting poem." 

Here is a Tanka in a nutshell. Rhyming doesn’t even enter in. The only concern is the number of syllables per line: 5, 7, 5, 7, 7 . . . but for this style – it matters who writes which lines, as follows:

Line 1 = 5 syllables     (1^st person writes)
Line 2 = 7 syllables     (1^st person writes)
Line 3 = 5 syllables     (1^st person writes)
Line 4 = 7 syllables     (2^nd person writes)
Line 5 = 7 syllables     (2^nd person writes)

 

So, 8 years ago, I had my husband, Jim, write this Tan-Renga with me ~ I wrote the first three lines, and he responded with the last two lines, and together we came up with this:

Our life together
Has had a few learning curves
The highs and the lows
Giving, growing, and loving
We have become companions

               © 2017 by Stephanie and Jim Abney

 

Since he is wisely asleep at this hour (about 4:30 am Thursday morning), I can’t have him help me write another one right now – but we might do it again later, and then I can come back and add it or share it on my FB National Poetry Month group. Cheers!!

 

PLEASE REMEMBER ~ any poetry found on this blog, written by me, is my personal property and may not be used without my permission, other than sharing it as an example in a lesson or to read it to someone. The same goes for any poems that are shared in the comments of this blog or elsewhere online as a result of this challenge. They are the creative property of the person who writes them. These poems are their original work and no one may use them without their permission. It is understood that they own the copyright to them as soon as they create them and especially once they post them. Thanks so much!

*** Also, if you choose to post your poems on your own blog or elsewhere on social media ~ that’s awesome. But PLEASE don’t just copy and paste my daily instructions, but rather post your poem on your blog or your FB wall or wherever AND LINK BACK TO EACH DAY’S SPECIFIC BLOG POST for others to come here to read the instructions. I’ve spent considerable time researching the poetry forms and writing them up to share with you. Thanks for respecting my work.