April is here again and that means its National Poetry Writing Month and for my second year I’ll be joining the 30 poems in 30 days challenge hosted by napowrimo.net. For this challenge, a poetry prompt will be provided daily during the month of April and if I can keep on track I’ll achieve the 30 poems in 30 days goal. So enough chatter…let’s go! It’s time for NaPoWriMo!
Write a triolet — an eight line poem, all lines iambic tetrameter (8 syllables per line); 1st, fourth, and seventh lines are identical; 2nd and with lines are identical; rhyme scheme ABaAabAB
napowrimo.net
This seems especially challenging. How to make the repetition work for the poem vs. just come off as repetitive? This may take more craft then I have. Let’s give it a go, though, shall I?
A Conversation with My Muse (Corrected)
How to write poetically?
The answer’s flying in the breeze;
I’ve asked and asked repeatedly
How to write poetically.
I’ve answered you repeatedly
Will you listen to me once please;
How to write poetically;
The answer’s flying in the breeze!
This was very difficult. After publishing I realized I had missed one of the required repetitions. So I’ve come back to “correct” the form. I’ve left the original below, just for reference. I prefer the corrected form actually, so glad I came back to it.
A Conversation with My Muse (Original)
I’ve asked and asked repeatedly;
The answer’s flying in the breeze;
The answer’s still a mystery;
How to write poetically?
I’ve answered you repeatedly
Will you listen to me once please;
How to write poetically;
The answer’s flying in the breeze!
I made a few attempts and finally landed on this conversation approach were I could create a different meaning from the lines when repeated. What do you think?
Be well,
Monty

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- StrangersBe well, Monty
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- FiguresBe well, Monty
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- An Exercise IIIBe well, Monty
- An Exercise IIBe well, Monty
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- An ExerciseBe well, Monty
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- An Old SketchAn Old Sketch What’s this?A tree yet to be.Or, If roasted,A fragrant snack. Be well, Monty
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- Sunlight Through Stained GlassBe well, Monty
- Selection of FloralsBe well, Monty
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That’s very good, Monty.
I am no good at poetry. The rhymes just seem to baffle me.
He he. Did you see what I did there? It took me a while to come up with even 2 lines of iambic tetrameter.
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Haha! Love it!!!
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From someone who talks to herself all the time, I love this one!
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Glad you enjoyed!!! I’m a big self talker too.
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good job! I find this form difficult to avoid being trite. I like your solution.
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It was very very hard to figure out. Thanks.
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I find the triolet challenging too, Monty. But reading through those posted on or linked to the NaPoWriMo site, a lot of people really enjoy working with the form.
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A fun take on the triolet!! Good job!
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I just had to go back and correct it as I had missed a repetition. What a challenge!
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I caught an error in mine before I posted it. But I would have corrected it after the fact, too. It’s worth the effort, isn’t it?
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If not to correct it at least make a note and acknowledge it to the reader. Nothing wrong with a mistake, but good to own it.
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