Tuesday, September 14, 2021

A Short Glossary of Common Poetic Forms

Villanelle: a poem marches forward between narrow walls
Pantoum: one step forward, one step back, closed loop, analemma
Ghazal: pinwheel of lines that radiate from the radif
Sonnet: slightly self-satisfied in your studied asymmetry
Terzanelle: two steps forward, one step back, end where you start
Haiku: blink and it’s over
Rondeau: two half-poems tied together with a tricky half-hitch
Triolet: compact as a trifold umbrella
Sestina: no diamond, but cubic zirconia, this six-faced gem

Books Available
The Day of My First Driving Lesson
Country Well-Known as an Old Nightmare's Stable
High-Voltage Lines
Knocking from Inside

1 comment:

Ruth said...

A sonnet IS self-satisfied.