Mirror Sestet

The Mirror Sestet, created by Shelley A. Cephas, is a poem that can be 

written in one or more stanzas of 6 lines each. The specific guidelines for 

this form are as follows:

The first word of line 1 rhymes with the last word of line 1.

The first word of line 2 is the last word of line 1 and the

last word of line 2 is the 1st word of line 1.

The first word of line 3 rhymes with the last word of line 3.

The first word of line 4 is the last word of line 3 and the

last word of line 4 is the 1st word of line 3.

The first word of line 5 rhymes with the last word of line 5.

The first word of line 6 is the last word of line 5 and the 

last word of line 6 is the 1st word of line 5.

The Mirror Sestet can also be written in non-rhyme.

All rules must be followed except there is no 1st and last word rhyming.

Example Poem

It Worked

"Turds like him can speak in fancy words.

Words that  promise much. Those phony turds.

Great gods I fell for it."  Here I wait,

Wait for Merlin to do something great.

"Smile for then he'll make it worth your while.

While there, he'll match figure to your smile."

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Decquain

The Decuain (pronounced deck•won), created by Shelley A. Cephas,
is a short poem made up of 10 lines, which can be written on any subject.
There are 10 syllables per line and the poem is
written in iambic pentameter.
There are 3 set choices of rhyme scheme:
ababbcbcaa, ababbcbcbb, or ababbcbccc
For a longer Decuain poem, add more stanzas for a double, triple, quatruple, etc. Decuain.


Example Poem

Leap to Lancelot 

They thought they had me trapped-- the silly fools.

But I'm an acrobat and dive with skill.

I do double twists into tiny pools.

I'll foil their evil plans to rape and kill.

After a safe dive, which will be a thrill,

I' ll be saved by Sir Lancelot by skiff.

He's promised so I know he surely will.

His little boat was hidden by the cliff.

No maiden fair (and that does describe me,)

will Lancelot allow be lost at sea.

(c) Lawrencealot - April 18,2012

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Octameter

Octameter, created by Shelley A. Cephas, 

is a poem made up of 16 lines

divided into two stanzas of 8 lines each.

Each line has a syllable count of 5.

The set rhyme scheme is: a/b/c/d/e/d/f/d  g/h/c/g/i/g/d/d.

I found this form defined on Shadow Poetry.

Of all the poetry forms I have studied none has been affixed with a more misleading and potentially confusing name.

Example Poem

T-aint Octameter  (Octameter)

Most mis-named form seen--

the Octameter.

That's a standard line

length measured in feet.

I ambs, trochees, such

which decide the beat.

Confusing girth with

length was not too neat.

It's an octastitch.

Can't quarrel at all.

If this form were mine

There'd be a name switch.

Say.. an octapent;

gone the need to bitch.

Current name is scat,

Cephas should fix that.

© Februrary 5, 2013

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Trilonnet

Created by Shelley A. Cephas
A 14-line poem made up of four three-line verses and one rhyming couplet.
Meter: iambic tetrameter or iambic pentameter.
 Each 3 line verse is an unrhymed triplet, but there is rhyming between the stanzas..
2 rhyme schemes: abc abc abc abc dd  or abc cba abc cba dd

Example Poem

Little Brick Library

When I was young,  and that means wee,
My nearby library did astound.
I started stopping every day.

I'd roam the shelves from about  three
'til five o'clock or 'til I'd found
one book I could not put away.

It was wonderful they were free;
the best resource that I had found
and books had so darn much to say.

This was long 'fore girls intrigued me.
The building was a good friend found,
where I'd rather hang-out than play.

Those short years opened wide the door.
to much I still plan to explore.

(c) Lawrencealot - May 4, 2012

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Triquain

Triquain...created by Shelley Cephas,

A Triquain is a seven line poem with syllables in multiples of 3 as follows:

3, 6, 9, 12, 9, 6, 3 This form is always centered.

syllabic,3/6/9/12/9/6/3,unrhymed,Cephas,min 7L,max none

ALWAYS Centered

Example Poem:

Interim Heaven  (Triquain chain)

The puppy

brought to the hospital

where the boy was dying adopted

him on first sight.  The lad's pain was subdued by drugs.

Nothing could subdue the instant joy

filling him as he hugged

The puppy.

The cancer

would not relent, and yet

the boy's eyes were brighter than before

and he never cried another day.  The puppy

snuggled when he slept and licked his face;

played gently other times

with the boy.

When the boy

passed on while he slept, the

puppy knew and whined, parents wept.  In

tears a younger brother took the pup, who shut up

and licked away that boy's tears.  Wiping

grief away, replacing

it with love.

(c) Lawrencealot - May 7,2012

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