Meisenheimer's Sestet

This form was created by Glenn Meisenheimer, aka gmcookie on Allpoetry.

It is stanzaic consisting of two or more stanzas.

It is syllabic, each stanza being a sestet of 11/8/11/11/11/8 syllables.

It is metrical, with the long lines consisting of three anapestic feet and an iamb, and each short line consisting of two anapestic feet and an iamb.

Rhyme pattern:  xabbba

My Example

April 7th Phone Call     (Meisenheimer's Sestet)

And what was the promise that went unfulfilled,

and why did it happen like that?

You promised to cherish, to love and obey

I promised the same yet you left me one day

and none of my pleas could persuade you to stay

so home with my two boys I sat.

But one time you tried to rejoin me and them;

by then I was slightly involved.

I'd promised another to be her escort

one day to a wedding as symbol of sorts.

I'd told you I'd promised and could not abort-

one day! then the problem'd be solved.

One day was too much for your too needy heart

I think you’d expected I'd stay

and forget a promise for now things were changed.

I couldn't and wouldn't get things rearranged

so after a month we were newly estranged.

You took our girls; you went away.

And what was the promise that went unfulfilled,

that caused you to call me last night?

You're dying and know it and facing the end,

have mem'ries to reckon with, fences to mend.

You know I still love you and think you my friend.

I wish that could make it alright.

© Lawrencealot - April 8, 2014

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EPJohnson Quintet

This is a form I simply documented, attributing it to

Emily Pauline Johnson, because in the four hundred twenty plus

forms I have documented, I've never come across a quintet with

This rhyme pattern.  I used the first stanza of her poem "The Lost Lagoon" as the template for the metric schema.

The form is stanzaic, consisting of two or more quintets.

It is of Canadian origin.

The rhyme scheme is A1bbbA2 A1cccA2...etc.

 (Indicating that the ending words of L1 and L5 are repeated in each stanza.)

It is syllabic, 8/9/9/9/8

The short lines are anapest, anapest, iamb

da da DUM da da DUM da DUM

With the  middle three lines being iamb,iamb,anapest,iamb

da DUM da DUM da da DUM da DUM

My example poem:

Surviving    

When a brother is left behind

it's seldom thought that his time was due.

No battle raged, and the sky was blue,

the day that Tim told us he was through.

"I've no more strength that I can find."

We would not leave our friend behind.

he talked about his sweet wife, his mom,

his father's farm, his young brother Tom

his faith in God, which so helped becalm

him all things good that he could find.

When we found those we'd left behind

to greet with loving so very warm

and praises we had escaped from harm--

we traveled next to Tim's father's farm

for in our hearts still Tim we find.

© Lawrencealot - February 19, 2014

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Anaduo

This is an invented form created by Lisa La Grange of Allpoetry.com.

It is Stanzaic, composed of any number of sestets

It is Syllalbic 11/11/8/11/11/8

Meter: All lines are acephalous* anapestic

              The long lines are anapestic tetrameter

              The short lines are anapestic trimeter

Rhyme Scheme:  aabccb

*Acephalous = headless, lacking its first syllable

Example Poem:

Chased by a Cloud     (Anaduo)

Below the horizon, beneath where I stand

the streets of a city lie quilting the land.

It's there that I work and I live.

I set out today, with no purposeful aim

My nose led my feet; up the mountain I came

for nature has beauty to give.

Just barely, below me the sounds I can hear

of traffic and people who don't know I'm here.

I view what's so rarely allowed.

I've climbed here before and I've stayed overnight

but never been treated to quite such a sight.

I'm proud to be chased by a cloud.

© Lawrencealot - January 30, 2014

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LaGrange Quatrain

 La Grange Quatrain created by Lisa La Grange of AllPoetry

Syllabic 8/7/8/7                        

Rhymed: abab                        

Meter: Anapestic

dee dee DUM dee, dee dee DUM dee                                

dee dee DUM dee, dee dee DUM                                

dee dee DUM dee, dee dee DUM dee                                

dee dee DUM dee, dee dee DUM

Note alternating feminine and masculine rhymes.

 Example Poem

Forfeited Opportunity     (La Grange Quatrain)

Undeserved, he's still receiving

approbation from the left.

While the right is past deceiving

and he forces wide the cleft.

A white guilt, earned by grandfathers

and augmented by black pride

brought to office one who bothers

not at all laws to abide.

Our first black to claim the title

has mis-used the office throne

gaining wealth as though entitled.

redistributes what's our own.

Were I black I'd be resenting

the destruction he's allowed;

this historic representing

should have made all races proud.

© Lawrencealot - November 2,2013

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LaDán

This is a new form designed in June, 2013 by Laura Lamarca.

It is composed of 5 quatrain stanzas with varying length and meter,

but every line begins with an anapest foot.

This is a moderately  difficult form to write.

The requirements of the form in her own words  are:

Verses 1, 3 and 5

Rhyme scheme abab

L1 and L3 - 11 syllables, stressed syllables needed on beats 3, 6, 8 and 11

L2 and L4 -  9 syllables, stressed syllables needed on beats 3, 5, 7 and 9

Verse 2 and 4

Rhyme scheme baab

L1 and L4 - 9 syllables, stressed syllables needed on beats 3, 5, 7 and 9

L2 and L3 - 7 syllables, stressed syllables needed on beats 3 and 5.

MUST be a metaphoric poem, preferably dark and deeply emotive.

Rhyme scheme "abab cddc efef ghhg ijij" for the easy version or

Rhyme scheme "abab baab abab baab abab" for the more challenging version

Example Poem

This was written for a contest to name the form, I thought LaAnapestia would have been descriptive, but my thinking did not prevail.

Liberty's Tree     (LaAnapestia)

Disagreeable though it may be my friends,

a time comes when men who are born free,

(as all are), must leave kings who won't make amends.

They are kings because we let them be.

The untried Americans-to-be

who'd displayed recalcitrance

now displayed recognizance

of the threat to their own liberty.

As the spirit of patriots now depends

on the Jefferson's and Paine's to see

better ways to assure the power extends

to the common man, they write their plea.

They were radicals,  to disagree,

and they lacked the competence

to deny the providence

of the kings throughout our history.

It seems sometimes the voice of reason portends

a much greater change than taxing tea,

and revolution comes when man comprehends;

But it may cost blood from you and me.

© Lawrencealot - July 24, 2013

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BushBallad Meter

Informal name created by Mary Boren Sullivan, aka on Allpoetry.com.

Am adding it so others can have a go at a delightful metric experience.

OK, that's not the official name for it, but this particular rhyme scheme & metrical pattern echoes of thundering hooves, which makes me think of Banjo Paterson.  If you're stuck in iambic mode, it's a good way to break free.   

The form lends itself to light verse, but is versatile enough to support serious topics as well.  The meter is anapestic, as follows, presented in six-line stanzas with a rhyme scheme of aabccb.

ta da DUM / ta da DUM / da

ta DUM / ta da DUM / da

ta DUM /  ta da DUM / ta da DUM

If it feels more natural, you can substitute with an iamb for the first foot and/or move the feminine trailing syllables into the next line, like so ...

ta DUM / ta da DUM

ta da DUM / ta da DUM

ta da DUM /  ta da DUM / ta da DUM

Example Poem

Unfriended

My words are exacting 

yours simply distracting 

You argue in circles, at best.

You think that deceiving 

just  'cus you're believing 

Is okay, your  thinking is blessed.

      

Now, when you disparage 

an old friend's new marriage 

or put down another's good work

or put on two faces 

when speaking of races, 

you're behavior drives me berserk.

      

I'm mostly quite friendly, 

but  if in the end we

diverge so in our views, my friend,

though I'll still be mellow

and a jolly fellow,

I reckon our friendship will end.

© Lawrencealot - April, 2012

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