Skip to main content

Poetry Friday- Triversen Poems


The 'Triversen' is a poetic form developed by William Carlos Williams. It presents as a flexible poetry form where the sentence plays a key role in forming each of the six three line stanzas.

A Triversen poem has the following characteristics:
  • Each stanza equals one sentence.
  • Each sentence/stanza breaks into 3 lines (each line is a separate phrase in the sentence).
  • There is a variable foot of 2-4 beats per line.
  • The poem as a whole should add up to 18 lines (or 6 stanzas).

Here's my attempt at a Triversen poem. It sets a tone of sadness, but in this case that was my brief as a poet.


Earl's Funeral

when they buried old Earl
a murder of crows
sat in a nearby tree

the shadow of a cloud
passed over the  mourners
who shuddered in the cold air

Earl was buried in an old suit
his favourite battered hat
and a photo of his dog.

can't remember
the last time I saw Earl 
but we shared a few words

A life gets recounted
packed up
and then put away

the crows held the tree captive
then shook their sooty feathers
and flew towards the sun.

Alan j Wright

Image result for a murder of crows


Comments

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you Kimberly. A few memories converged in the writing, not the least an image of an ancient cemetery I once visited in Ireland on a bleak afternoon. A one time sighting of an enormous gathering of crows in a tree. The other strong influence was an old fellow I knew as a boy growing up. The structure helped support the emergence of the words and make the poem from these various images. It's amazing sometimes what influences the writing and how it all fits.

      Delete
  2. Your poem has moved me to tears, Alan. The structure and images work together perfectly. I've never tried this form, but am now intrigued by it. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your most positive response Catherine. I hope you are also moved to try a Triversen poem too.

      Delete
  3. You and Diane with the crows this week! Those last two stanzas really pack a punch.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. While crows bring a sense of foreboding, they are quite crafty birds who know how to survive. There are plenty of them in the near vicinity of my house and their raucous chorus is a curse on the tranquility of my mornings. Glad you found something in my words that you enjoyed Mary Lee.

      Delete
  4. Wow, Alan, what a wonderful use of the form! I love the pathos of:A life gets recounted
    packed up
    and then put away

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sally. Your feedback is much appreciated.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Life Cycle -A football poem by Bruce Dawe

This poem by Australian poet Bruce Dawe epitomises the unique connection sporting tragics have to their preferred football teams, -an almost tribal allegiance. Each season supporters stare down the twin imposters- victory and defeat. They remain both loyal and hopeful of eventual triumph. This poem refers specifically to Australian Rules Football, but it's themes are universal. I share this poem on the eve of the 2017 Grand Final to decide the Premiership for this football season. My team, the Richmond Tigers have reached the play off to decide the ultimate victor. They have not contested the Grand Final match for 35 years. My hopes fly with them. This poem links two of my great loves -football and poetry... Life Cycle When children are born in Victoria they are wrapped in club-colours, laid in beribboned cots, having already begun a lifetime’s barracking. Carn, they cry, Carn … feebly at first while parents playfully tussle with them for possession of a rusk: Ah, he

Poetry Friday: The Safety Pin Poem

Poets not only write poetry, they also read poetry. In order to be able to write poetry, one must read it. Lots of poetry in fact...  I want to share a short little poem by Valerie Worth. I bought Valerie's book, 'All The Small Poems And Fourteen More,' while living and working in New York, some time back. It remains a personal favourite.  I love the way the poet shines a special light on everyday objects, transforming them into something unique and worthy of attention. Her close observations elevate her poems into the special category.  Each poem in the collection celebrates earthly wonders. From eggs to garbage, from potatoes to pockets, each object is given special attention in the form of short poems employing keen observations.  Valerie Worth demonstrates through her poems she totally understands the saying-'ideas exist in things.'  The poem I have chosen to share with you (one of my personal favourites) is titled, 'Safety Pin'. S af

Opposite Poems

O pp o s ite P oem s In his book, ' How To Write Poetry,'  Paul Janeczko presents the idea of opposite poems. Paul suggests they could also be referred to as antonym poems. This is wordplay and it's fun to try. Here are some examples Paul provides to help us see very clearly how these short little poems work. I think the opposite of chair Is sitting down with nothing there What is the opposite of kind? A goat that butts you from behind Paul Janeczko You will  notice the poems are written in rhyming couplets. They can be extended so long as you remember to write in couplets. Paul shows us how this is done. What is the opposite of new? Stale gum that's hard to chew A hot-dog roll as hard as rock Or a soiled and smelly forgotten sock You might notice that some of Paul's opposite Poems begin with a question. The remainder of the poem answer the question posed. Opposite poems are a challenge, but it is a challenge worth trying. Not e