Day 23 ~ Tetractys Poem for #NationalPoetryMonth and "30 poems in 30 days"

Today we will attempt writing Tetractys poems. I have not used this form yet for Poetry Month and I will be trying it out for the first time along with all of you.

This poetic form was created by Ray Stebbing and consists of 20 total syllables, with no need for rhyming (although you can rhyme if you wish) arranged in the following fashion:

NOTE: For the first one syllable line strive to use an interesting word; not just the article “A” or “The”

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 last ten syllables all fall on the same line, 5.

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

            (and if you want a third verse, flip it again)

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 are you wish as long as each subsequent verse     

            is reversed from the previous one in terms of the syllable count).

Here is my example:   

Love

As true

And sweet as

Ours can only

Grow with forgiveness, humor, and patience

Over the years we have experienced

Loss of our son

Happiness

Sadness

Love 

                       © 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 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.

Photo: courtesy of Stephanie Abney

Day 9 ~ “Nonet Poem” for “30 Poems in 30 Days” #NationalPoetryMonth

I was going to experiment with a poetry from that is even new to me BUT then I saw the date and if it is Day 9 then it must be time for a NONET POEM!! Basically, this poetry form is based on the number 9. I first tried writing one of these 4 years ago for the 2014 Poetry Challenge and this form soon became one of my favorites!

It’s so fun ~ a Nonet Poem is based on NINE, in more ways than one ~ it has nine lines and the FIRST LINE has NINE syllables ~ but there are a few more details to know. I have come to really love this poetry form. And the poems I wrote for it four years ago are still my favorite nonet poems so I’m going to share them again as my examples. But here is how you do this poem. SO FUN!!!

When I looked up the word “nonet” in the dictionary I discovered it stood for 9 musical performers or 9 instruments – and the poem has a pattern that has 9 lines – the first line has 9 syllables, each line thereafter has one less syllable, ending with the last line only having ONE syllable. The number of words does not matter, ONLY the number of syllables so it actually provides you with some flexibility. Intriguing, right?

Here is a “look” at this pattern:

* * * * * * * * * (9 syllables)

* * * * * * * * (8 syllables)

* * * * * * * (7 syllables)

* * * * * * (6 syllables)

* * * * * (5 syllables)

* * * * (4 syllables)

* * * (3 syllables)

* * (2 syllables)

* (1 syllable)

It can be about ANYTHING as long as the SYLLABLE COUNTS ARE CORRECT, so PLEASE count them so you can do it correctly.

Here are the first two I ever wrote for this poetry form and they remain my favorites:

Made chocolate chip cookies tonight

One taste before I go to bed

One bite follows another

I forgot what I said

I’m ready to stop

Well, maybe not

Just one more

Then to …

Bed!!

          © 2014 Stephanie Abney

“Grandma, may we have a sleepover?”

My precious grandkids ask again.

“We promise to obey you.”

They give a hopeful look.

“We won’t talk in bed.”

That’s what they said.

“We love you.”

I said,

“Yes!”

           © 2014 Stephanie Abney

OKAY, your turn – GO!!

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 5 ~ “Pensee Poem” for “30 Poems in 30 Days” for #NationalPoetryMonth

I often try to find a poetry form that goes with the date – like today being the 5^th I was looking for poems that had five lines, etc. but there are a bunch of them that relate to the number five:

A limerick is a short, funny poem that contains five lines and tells a story

A cinquain is a five line poem

"Lantern Poem," a five line poem in the shape of a Japanese lantern

5 W’s is a five line poem

“Tanka” which has been called, “The Grandmother of Haiku,” has 5 lines.

Grammar is five lines long.

“Pensee Poem” – has five lines

I settled on the Pensee Poem ~ might be new to you (unless you’ve done this poetry challenge before) but it DOES have VERY SPECIFIC GUIDELINES and you’ll want to pay attention to them in order to create a “PENSEE POEM” ~ here ya’ go!! Cheers!!

How to write a “Pensee Poem” – “pensee” is a French word that means “a reflection or thought.” It is a five-line, structured poem that does not rhyme. Each line has a specific number of syllables and addresses a specific part of the poem ~ see box below.

The thing to watch out for is to follow the pattern, including WHAT should be expressed on each line, using a SPECIFIC number of syllables ~ and remember – THIS poem does not rhyme.

                              

Line	Pattern	Example
Line 1	Subject (2 syllables)	Newborn
Line 2	Description (4 syllables)	Precious and sweet
Line 3	Action (7 syllables)	Sleeps peacefully in my arms
Line 4	Setting (8 syllables)	How do you like the world so far?
Line 5	Final thought (6 syllables)	I wish you could tell me

This is how the above example looks as a poem:

Newborn
Precious and sweet
Sleeps peacefully in my arms
How do you like the world so far?
I wish you could tell me.
         © 2014 Stephanie Abney  

A few more examples: 

Grandkids

So full of love

Throwing their arms around me

As we snuggle on Grandma’s couch

I lead such a charmed life

                        © 2018 Stephanie Abney

Freedom
Our liberties
Granted unto us by God
Outlined in our Constitution
Thank-you Founding Fathers      

                   © 2014 Stephanie Abney

Ice cream

Cold, smooth and sweet

Makes its way to my tummy

At the end of a trying day

For now, all is just fine.

                 © 2016 Stephanie Abney

So, these are a few of my examples, but you get the idea. So, go ahead and try several ~ perhaps one about an emotion, an animal, one of your favorite foods, or a time of year (holiday/season), an event, or something in nature. What comes to mind?

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 9 ~ 2015 “Nonet Poem” for “30 Poems in 30 Days”

Yay!! Let's write a NONET POEM #NationalPoetryMonth

What is a "Nonet Poem" and how do you write one?

It’s day NINE and a Nonet Poem is based on NINE, in more ways than one ~ it has nine lines and the FIRST LINE has NINE syllables ~ but there are a few more details to know. I have come to really love this poetry form. And I love the poems I wrote for it last year so I’m going to share them again. But here is how you do this poem. SO FUN!!!

When I looked up the word “nonet” in the dictionary I discovered it stood for 9 musical performers or 9 instruments – and the poem has a pattern that has 9 lines – first line has 9 syllables, each line thereafter has one less syllable, ending with the last line only having ONE syllable. The number of words does not matter, ONLY the number of syllables so it actually provides you with some flexibility. Intriguing, right?

It can be about ANYTHING as long as the SYLLABLE COUNTS ARE CORRECT, so PLEASE count them so you can do it correctly.

In fact - HERE is a syllable counter to help you out:  "The Syllable Dictionary"

Here are two I wrote:

 

“Grandma, may we have a sleepover?”
My precious grandkids ask again.
“We promise to obey you.”
They give a hopeful look.
“We won’t talk in bed.”
That’s what they said.
“We love you.”
I said,
“Yes!”

© 2014 Stephanie Abney 

Made chocolate chip cookies tonight
One taste before I go to bed 
One bite follows another
I forgot what I said
I’m ready to stop
Well, maybe not
Just one more
Then to …
Bed!!         

             © 2014 Stephanie Abney

OKAY, your turn – GO!!

Please remember – any poetry found on this blog, written by me, is my personal property and may not be used without my permission. The same goes for any poems that are shared in the comments section of this blog. They are the property of the person who shares them. These poems are their original work and no one may use them in any form without their express permission. It is understood that they own the copyright to it. Thanks!! 

And 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 and LINK BACK TO THIS BLOG POST for others to read the instructions. Thanks for respecting my work

Day 8 2015 How to Write an Octopoem "30 poems in 30 days"

Well, since it is Day 8 let’s try a poem that has 8 lines. It’s called an “Octopem.” This is a form I haven’t used in previous poetry challenges so it should be fun. Looks pretty forthright: 

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. 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: color
line 2: season
line 3: place
line 4: weather
line 5: clothing
line 6: furniture
line 7: TV show
line 8: food

Here’s one I wrote ~

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

Try your hand at it and come back each day to see what we are up to in our “30 poems in 30 days” challenge for #NationalPoetryMonth. 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 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.