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Poetry Friday -Trimeric Poems


Trimeric Poems
Today it gives me great pleasure to share a Trimeric Poem. A poetry form I have recently discovered. A poetry form I really like...

 The poem begins to build seamlessly as you go, due to its expectation for the writer to repeat lines used in the first four line stanza in order to launch each subsequent three line stanza.  

 The Trimeric poetry form was invented by Charles A. Stone, and the rules are quite straightforward :

 A Trimeric poem consists of 4 stanzas
The first stanza has 4 lines
The other three stanzas have 3 lines each
The first line of each 3 line stanza is a refrain of the corresponding line in the first stanza (so 2nd stanza starts with the second line, third stanza starts with the third line, etc.)
No rules apply for line length, meter, or rhyme. I've coloured coded my poem so you can see how the structure has been informed.


Inkblot

I was born into a world of blotting paper
Ink wells and fountain pens
A left handed writer
In a writing minefield

Ink wells and fountain pens
Held the indigo liquid
Providing shape to letters and words

A left handed writer
Forever wary of smudges
Afraid of blots and blobs on pristine pages

In a writing minefield
I remained forever trepidacious
-And then along came the ballpoint pen

Alan j Wright






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Comments

  1. Buffy Silverman1 June 2018 at 12:06

    A new form for me--will have to give it a try! My older sister is left-handed, and although her teachers tried to get her to write with her right hand, they failed and she came home with smudges too. Your ending made me smile.

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    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright1 June 2018 at 14:31

      I feel a strong connection to your sister's experience Buffy. They tried to change me too. They failed quite miserably. Serves them 'right.'
      Hope you find joy in trying this poetic form.

      Delete
  2. Linda B1 June 2018 at 13:49

    Oh, I'd like to try this form. What fun you've made it, Alan. And that ending is a zinger!

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  3. Alan j Wright1 June 2018 at 14:29

    Glad youl ike it Linda. Love the idea of a zinger line. Poet's are advised to end just as strongly as they begin, so your comment encourages me.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Molly Hogan1 June 2018 at 20:27

    A new form to try! Thanks for your clear explanation of the form (Yay for color coding!) and for a great mentor poem. As others have already noted, that ending line is perfect.

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    1. Alan j Wright2 June 2018 at 08:53

      Glad you like the colour coding Molly. I just felt it was necessary when 'showing; the structure. It is said a poet must begin and end strongly, so the fact readers like the final line is most gratifying.

      Delete
  5. Mary Lee1 June 2018 at 20:38

    Me, too! Me, too! I think I'll try this today with a poem about the black swallowtail caterpillar that is transforming itself into a chrysalis via butterflyhood.

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    1. Alan j Wright2 June 2018 at 08:54

      Love the fact that you already are in rehearsal Mary Lee. Go get those words!

      Delete
  6. Kimberly Hutmacher1 June 2018 at 21:19

    Great poem! Perfect build up to that final line. I've not heard of this form. I'm looking forward to giving it a try. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Alan j Wright2 June 2018 at 08:55

      Thank you Kimberly. Hope you enjoy 'making' a Trimeric poem as much as I did.

      Delete
  7. Kay2 June 2018 at 06:32

    This is a new form for me, too. I'd like to try it. Thanks for sharing it and your poem. It will be a great mentor text to use.

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    1. Alan j Wright2 June 2018 at 08:57

      My pleasure Kay. You humble me with your mention of a mentor text. Good luck with Trimeric trial.

      Delete
  8. Robyn Hood Black3 June 2018 at 01:25

    Delighted to learn of this form, too! And, I've always been a sucker for dip pens, so I love this subject of your poem as well. Nicely done - Thanks for sharing!

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    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright3 June 2018 at 12:52

      I appear to have pleased you on both counts Robyn. How good is that?

      Delete
  9. Anonymous4 June 2018 at 17:12

    This is so much fun! Love it! :)

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    1. Alan j Wright4 June 2018 at 22:57

      So glad you like it as a poetry form. I like it too. A lot. I am currently writing more poems in this style in my writer's notebook. It is a most engaging structure.

      Delete
  10. Donna Smith5 June 2018 at 21:30

    Another T form for the AtoZ Challenge next year! Woo-hoo!
    My husband is left-handed, and used fountain pens for years. He somehow got the knack of turning his hand. Never wanted me to use his pens so I wouldn't ruin the nib's flow for him! I think he bought a special lefty nib.

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    1. Alan j Wright5 June 2018 at 23:16

      Pleased to have been of assistance Donna. Rather than turn my hand, I write from beneath. Lefties tend to be mostly 'pushers' or 'hookers.' I'm not too sure what to call what I do. I can understand why husband doesn't want you to use his fountain pen. They do become shaped in a particular direction after time spent with a writer of a particular persuasion. Not sure about lefty nibs. Interesting...

      Delete
    2. Donna Smith6 June 2018 at 09:22

      https://blog.gouletpens.com/2017/09/lamy-oblique-and-left-handed-nibs-whats

      Delete
    3. Alan j Wright6 June 2018 at 09:53

      Thanks For the follow up Donna. I will check it out. Every day we chip away at our ignorance...

      Delete
  11. Michelle Kogan26 June 2018 at 10:30

    Fun poem Alan, I love your "writing minefield." My daughter is left handed but fortunately didn't have to deal with fountain pens, but she's an artist so she has worked with pen holders with nibs and of course scissors. Thanks for sharing this new trimeric poem form, Kay McGriff left a link to your post as she tried this form out this week.

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    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright12 July 2018 at 15:45

      Thanks for the alert Michelle. I have been away for a few weeks and then noticed your comment. Glad you liked the poem. I am enjoying this form and have written several other Trimeric poems since 'Inkblot.'

      Delete
  12. Carol Varsalona30 June 2020 at 23:40

    2 years later, I am reading your poem, Alan, because Kat Apel sent me one for the 2020 Summer Poetry Swap. I love the color-coding on yours and the way you let your thoughts flow. I loved the fountain pen era. While those pens left many smudges of black in on my fingers, I enjoyed the foray into calligraphy. Thanks for reminding me of those days.

    ReplyDelete

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