I’ll be honest. I’m not a poet.
So what the heck am I doing hosting a poetry carnival? I like writing poetry and I hope to encourage other non-poets to explore the medium.
I suppose it should be clarified, when I say "I’m not a poet" what I’m really saying is "I’m not an educated poet." Hopefully each month as we exercise our inner poet-wannabe-ness, we’ll s t r e t c h and actually learn something new or maybe just develop our skill for writing verse.
This month we’re trying something I’ve never heard of: terza rima. Actually, I was familiar with it–you probably are, too–I just didn’t know the name. It was first employed by Italian poet Dante Alighieri, more recognizable perhaps as author of The Divine Comedy (his last name threw me). As I found with cinquain, there are several methods of writing terza rima, but the simplest definition is:
[a poetic] form consisting of
stanzas of three lines (tercets); the first and third lines rhyming
with one another and the second rhyming with the first and third of the
following tercet. The series ends with a line that rhymes with the
second line of the last stanza, so that the rhyme scheme is aba, bcb, cdc, . . . , yzy, z. The metre is often iambic pentameter.
There is no limit to the number of tercets you can write for this form, and the last line can actually be a couplet (two rhyming lines) as long as it picks up the rhyme scheme of the middle line of the last stanza.
If you’d like more information, you’re welcome to research it, but for our purposes here, K.I.S.S. is in the house, k?
You have two themes from which to choose this month: "Beginnings" in honor of the New Year or "Favorite Snack Foods" with "Snackalicous Super Dishes" and the Super Bowl in mind.
Don’t get bogged down with this! Have FUN with it; I think once you get started, words will just roll off your fingertips. You have until this Thursday to get it written; check back here then and link your poem to Mr. Linky so everyone can have a chance to visit your entry.
And I’ll let cha in on a little secret…Rhymezone.com will be a huge help this month. You’re welcome :).
I looked this up earlier this week (snuck a peek on the FAQ page) and my brain cells died! Maybe this week I’ll be able to put it together.
Thanks for the helpful links, Robin.
Sandy, I actually wrote one, but I don’t like it, so it’s back to the drawing board. I HOPE it doesn’t scare people away!! Rhymezone should help :).
I AM going to work on this tonight and tomorrow
oy vey, girl. iambic pentameter? i’ll have to pull out the shakespeare for this one.
I cannot wait to give this a try. But, first I need a nap to recharge my brain.
ok. You stretched me on this one. I should have posted a Gumby picture with this post.
I will get back on Thursday to update Mr. Linky.
Pamela, I can’t wait to see what you’ll stir up!
Heather, I started to explain EVERYTHING, but I figured people might glaze over; I figured those who want to write it most “accurately” would delve a bit deeper :). Oy vey, you ain’t kidding!!
Karmyn, dang…you’re gonna write when you’re FRESH…I’d better go to bed NOW!
Inheritor, GUMBY? You have REALLY gotten my curiosity piqued! 🙂
Okay, I did it! Wow, that was tough! I’m totally exhausted after that. Did I miss Mr. Linky? I’ll come back later to add my name. In the mean time, come check out what I did. It was fun! (But exhausting, LOL).
~Maria
http://www.jubileeonearth.com
I will just enjoy reading everyone else’s masterpieces.
My thinking cap is officially “on”! I loved Dante’s inferno when I read it in high school.
Went ahead and posted since my ISP went out yesterday afternoon and just came back on two hours ago…who knows at this point if it’ll stay on! LOL
http://twolittlevikings.blogspot.com/2008/01/pensieves-poetic-license-challenge.html
I am not happy with the metre, but out of three starts, this is the one I finished. (Please turn your head before you barf).
Okay, I don’t think that link worked. I hope I’ve fixed it.
This is my first try. I was not familiar with this form and found it to be a challenge.
Thanks for setting this up and for giving us a chance to be creative, even if we (me)are not poets!
Marsha
http://justme1947.blogspot.com/2008/01/pensieves-poetic-license-challenge.html