Day 243:

Feb 28-Ovi, Indian form from The Marathi Region, 4 lines per phrase, aaax. 8 syllables for a, less for x. poems comprise Love, social irony, and heroes or heroic actions.(#12,411)

Do you love the Hindu Ovi?

Heroes and social irony
From the region of Marathi
This is how you write them.
 

Eight syllables per line you see

Aaax per phrase it be
Close with less syllables with glee
And then you’re done.

Day 242:

Feb 27- Cynghanedd Groes o Gysswyllt (cross od connection harmony) not neatly balanced between the two halves of the line, but begins before the main pause.

O, a terrific chap, traffic Chip!

Day 241:

Feb 26- back to some Celtic forms. Cynghanedd Groes Gytbys Ddiacm. (Balanced Criss-cross Harmony). Stresses in the consonants are in exactly the same position in both halves of the line.

I bit a bat.

Day 240:

Feb 25-Back to more forms. 4 Syllable verse, which is a Chinese form similar to Ssu Yen Shih. 3 phrases(Quatrains), 4 syllables with parallels. Aaxa, bbcc, cdcd.

Four Syllable

Verse that is full

aaxa

Do not be dull.

Of quatrains three

Bbcc

A rhyming feat

Parallel beat.

Cd, repeat

Try it, it’s fun.

It can’t be beat

Now you are done.

Day 239:

Feb 24-Purim, the Hebrew Holiday, Rescue of the Jews, Queen Esther’s heroics. done in Yiddish Folk Verse: Stanzaic,any number of quatrains, occasionally written in sixains. Accentual, written with 4 stressed syllables per line and any number of unstressed syllables, rhyme xaxa, xbxb, etc. x is unrhymed. Sometimes abab cdcd, sixains in rhyme aabccb ddeffe, etc. This version will be a sixtain. (#12,410)

Purim, a celebration of peace

A Queen helped violence to her people to cease

Esther by name, history by fame

While hated by Haman who was hung

Her exploits are now forever sung

For life, freedom, and peace, there’s Purim.

Day 238:

Feb 23- Native American Prancing Song, Each section has the rhythmic meter 3,2,3. The sections are AAABCD[doubles lines]AB. Each section organized by vowels. Title: Prance Dance

 A Prance Dance

Spring Joys

Winter leaves

A Prance Dance

Snow goes

Warmth returns

A Prance Dance

Sun shows

Light returns

Noisy joy

Unlock

Songs aglow

Beckoning

Under

Winter’s tasks

Pray and praise

Great Father

Eager

Happy

Dance away

Springs’ coming

A Prance Dance

Snow goes

Light returns

Noisy joy

Unlock

Songs aglow

Day 237:

Feb 22-George Washington’s Birthday, Title: The Founding President

The first of many to come

Revered by more than some

The Founding President.

Honest in what he’d say

Knew the part he would play

The Founding President.

George Washington, the man

The Constitution’s plan

The Founding President.

Day 236:
Feb 21-Iroquois Maple Ceremony, with varied meter.

Maple Dancing

Trees are swaying
Ceremony.
 
Iroquois
Native souls
Celebrate.
 
Spring is coming
Festive cheering
Bountiful food.

Day 235:

Feb 20- Lenten Ember-tide, For those of the Catholic religion, this time period, one of four of the series of Embers, an acrostic Title: Repent

Reverence

Exaltation
Penitence
Encouragement
New life
Trust

Day 234:

Feb 19- Curtal Stanza(Long Hymnal Quatrain), different from Curtal Quatrain, line length and rhyme. Iambic tetrameter(8 syllables) for lines 1-3, then iambic dimeter(4 syllables) on last line. Abab, etc. any number of phrases.

The Curtal Stanza, you can see

Abab or do some more

Eight syllables one through three

Close it with four. 

Day 233:

Feb 18- Winter has a way of seeming like death, so we now see a poem from India called the Yama. 6 syllable lines, any number of  4 lined phrases, or Quatrains. Xaxa, x is not rhymed. Titled, and views are sorrowful, usually about death, loss, even about the loss of a season.

Yama

With six syllable lines

For what can we sorrow?

Quatrains, xaxa

With the Yama, we show.

Day 232:

Feb 17- Native American Death Song, rhythmic Meter 3,2,3. Sections organized by vowels. Title Death Song

Cold earth

Life goes

Circle

Death song.

None lives on

Soul sent forth

While earth stays

Great Father

Happiness

Forever.

Death song

New life.

Day 230:

Feb 15- Navajo Singing Festival, celebrating agriculture, healing, believe Spider woman helped twin brothers defeat evil powers. With Native American meter, 3,2,3.(poem #12,344)

Navajo Singing Festival

Twin brothers

Woman’s web

Fought evil

Victory

Navaho.

Flora

Fauna

Singing

Healing

Spider

Power.

Rejoicing

Sing and dance

New harvest

Spring is near

Victory

Festival.

Day 231:

Feb 16- Retourne,  a French form with 4 phrases of 4 lines each. Non-rhyming, with 3 refrains. xABC, Axxx, Bxxx, Cxxx, 8 syllables each line.(poem #12,374)

The French have a special poem.

This French poem has sixteen lines.

Each verse line has eight syllables.

Written with a tumbling refrain.

This French poem has sixteen lines.

The lines are broken into four.

Four Quatrains work up the poem.

The ABCs are the refrain.

Each verse line has eight syllables.

The first phrase ends in ABC.

The x lines do not rhyme at all.

Axxx begins phrase two.

Written with a tumbling refrain.

Bxxx begins phrase three.

Cxxx closes phrase four.

This French form is called the Retourne.

Day 229:

Feb 14-Valentine’s Day, and here is a poem honoring this holiday. Title: A Valentine Wish

May love always be near

And friendships be dear

A special day that’s great

And couple’s to relate

Cupid’s arrows, they went

And caring cards are sent

Closing this wish to say

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Day 228:
Feb 13- Ash Wednesday, here is an Acrostic Poem for this religious holiday. Title Pray

Penitence

Reminders
Ash Wednesday
Yesterday, Today, and Forever, the Lord

Day 227:

Feb 12-Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday, In his honor, this poem. The Frontier President

Honest Abe, we miss you

When what is said is true

The country was still new

One thing he had to do

Freedom was something right

The brothers had to fight

He led the Union’s might

Throughout the darkest night.

Frontier’s both new and old

Martyred, his story told

Frontiers are for the bold

Truth kept, don’t have it sold.

 He said just what he meant

Yes, we miss the Frontier President.

Day 226:

Feb 11- Family Day, here’s a poem for the occasion. Title: Family Day

A day for family

Brothers and sisters

Parents and more

Relatives

Caring

Love.

Day 225:

Feb 10-Chinese New Year, with a Jintishi. Title: Chinese New Year

A time for Celebration!

Bring out the fortune cookies!

Past, present, and future

Bringing all both luck and cheer!

Ancestors and descendants

Remember the good with joy

I wish you this fervent wish

A Happy Chinese New Year!

Day 224:

Feb 9- Pankti, A poetic form from India, 40 syllables per phrase(Quintains), 5 lines(called padas), 8 syllables each. Any number of phrases. Typically about food or rain.

The Pankti is from India

Five lined phrases, eight syllables

Any number of phrases used

Many written on food or rain

Now you try writing a Pankti.

Day 223:

Feb 8-Boy Scout Day, in their honor, this poem:

Faithful, honored, dedicated

A legion of youth taught and fed

Nature shown, always be prepared

Leaders trained, shown by those that cared

Happy Scout Day!

Day 222:

Feb 7-The Spenserian Quintilla,  a variation of other Spenserian-like forms. Any number of cinquains, first 4 lines have 8 syllables, the last line has 12. Axabb, cxcdd, etc. with x not rhymed.

What to call this form from the past?

The Spenserian Quintilla

Eight syllables until the last

Axabb, five lines each

Finish each cinquain with twelve syllables to teach.

Day 221:

Feb 6-Ronald Reagan’s Birthday, in his honor, this poem. The Noble President

A man for the times

He fights the red’s crimes

The noble President.

A conservative

True preservative

The noble executive.

Communicator

Investigator

The noble administrator.

A sense of humor

Loyal to the core

The noble humanitarian.

He let freedom ring

Shot for what he’d bring

The noble warrior.

So down the wall fell

For that he did well

The noble President.

Day 220:

Feb 5- Rubai, a single phrased Rubaiyat, Persian  aaba, 8 syllables called Omar stanza, otherwise, matching syllable count.

A Persian form for you to see

Syllabled lines aab
Closing a, the  Rubai is done
Can you write it better than me?

Day 219:
Feb 4- For the winter sleep, here is a Native American poetic form called the Rest Song. The 3 sections are in 2,3,3 rhythmic meter. Each section organized by vowels. Title: Rest Song

Lie down

Native
Chill out
Rest song
Asleep
covered
Don’t snore.

Day is done

Rest a bit
Take a break
Paradise
Work has earned
Golden shore.
 

Helpful

Intent
On hold
Pillow
Bedtime
Fly high
Break time
Last song.

Day 218:
Feb 3- Doublet, 2 line poem but it incorporates the title into the poem, in effect creating a 3 line verse. each line 10 syllables or less, aa couplet, title is not rhymed.

What is a Doublet?

Ten syllables or less per line
Title and aa, they combine.

Day 217:
Feb 2-Ground Hog Day, A poem to celebrate. Title: Groundhog Day

The shadows pass or stay

Welcome Groundhog Day
Spring now or Winter stall
So what will be the call?

Day 216:

Feb 1-Ethnic Equality Month starts, so for this holiday, a Haiku.

Equality month

Rejoicing ethnicity

People of all types.