avatarMichael Hall

Summary

The website content introduces a new syllabic poetic form and invites writers to participate in a monthly poetry prompt.

Abstract

The author of the website content discusses a personal journey into formal poetry, highlighting a recent creation of a new syllabic poetic form. This form is characterized by alternately increasing and decreasing lines, with a specific syllable count for each line, designed to build up and culminate in the poem's conclusion. The author encourages other writers to experiment with this form by participating in the "Monthly Prompt №6: September — the 'culminating 30'," providing detailed instructions on the syllabic structure and submission guidelines. The prompt is hosted on The Bazaar of the Bizarre, with a call to tag the submission appropriately and to link back to the original post. The author also recommends a reading list of poetry and literature-related books and acknowledges their affiliations with various writing groups and publications.

Opinions

  • The author expresses a preference for Free Verse but acknowledges the value of formal poetry in enhancing their poetic skills.
  • The newly created syllabic form is designed to challenge poets and add a dynamic structure to their work.
  • The author believes that formal poetry can complement and even improve the craft of free verse poets.
  • The subject matter and theme for the new form are left to the discretion of the participating poets, with the author's example focusing on love.
  • The author prefers internal rhyming over end rhyming, suggesting it creates a more natural rhythm akin to everyday speech.
  • A significant number of writers are directly invited to participate in the prompt, indicating a community-focused approach.
  • The author's recommendation of specific books suggests these works have influenced or inspired their own poetry.

A MYRIAD OF FORM(S)

A Brand New Syllabic Form

Monthly Prompt №6: September — the “culminating 30”

Photo by Belinda Fewings on Unsplash

Background

Let me begin by saying, Free Verse remains my preferred style of poetry; although, my own experimentations with Fibonacci poetry based on the actual mathematical sequence would run a close second, mainly due to a long previous background in math and statistics. But recently — just in the past year or so, for the sake of breaking the monotony happening in my work — I began trying out and experimenting with different forms, some common and even other uncommon ones, which also catalyzed this monthly Forms Prompt. In my humble opinion, formal poetry has provided additional ammunition to accentuate my unconventional arsenal of improvisational free verse but also has helped me to further hone my overall skills as a poet.

Originally constructed for a response to a prompt from J.D. Harms, I came up with a syllabic-based framework with the purpose of creating, at least in my mind, a poem that builds slowly, then culminates at its conclusion. After the fact, I remember thinking to myself that I’d concocted a brand new poetic form. Below is the link to that poem to refer to as an example:

Prompt

Write a poem of 30 alternately increasing/decreasing intertwined lines in the syllabic format of: 1/2/1/2/3/2/3/4/3/4/5/4/5/6/5/6/7/6/7/8/7/8/9/8/9/10/9/10/11/10.

The subject matter, theme, and rhyme scheme is left to your discretion. The subject matter and theme of mine was love, only due to the nature of the prompt to which I was responding. Plus, I chose not to use a set rhyme scheme. I usually prefer internal rhyming as opposed to end rhyming, when I do use rhyme, because it aids in the creation of a natural rhythm within the words, almost like everyday colloquial speech.

Please submit your drafts to The Bazaar of the Bizarre, link this post to your submission and also tag me. Please make sure to use “Forms Prompt” as your main tag, along with any other tags you may want to use.

Tagging some writers, though all are welcome to participate :)

Harley King Denise Baxter Yoder J.D. Harms Dennett Imad Franco Amati Samantha Lazar Frederick Andrew Naomi Leilani Acosta John Levin A.j Thomas Joanna Vang Daniel A. Teo Deepak Jayal Aaron Quist Gaston King Chloe Ann Marie Steele Amanda Dalmas Terry Barr Ivette Cruz Viraji Ogodapola Dr. Fatima Imam Joseph Lieungh Filza Chaudhry Andrea Juillerat-Olvera Jesse M. Gonzalez Barry Dawson IV Daniel Barry William J Spirdione Iva Hotko Lennie Varvarides Justin Haag Alina Sileanu Georgia Lewitt Warren Brown ScienceDuuude Roberto C. Salvador Marcus Enne Baker Mimi Bordeaux Vic Spandrio Somsubhra Banerjee Vixen Lea Lisa Bolin Marie A Bailey Sean F Corbin Brittany Alicia Carter Roxana Ștefan Rachel Ramkaran (she/her) Tracy Busby Anthony O’Dugan Elizabeth Barnesco Haikuster Chris Mooney-Singh TC Hails Stephanie Blossoms Pol Neiman Francis David Kelli Sheckler-Amsden Rosa Diaz Paula Light Carolyn Riker rowen maeve G.R. MELVIN Kat Halligan A.M. Radulescu Caroline Mellor Melissa Coffey Katrina Bos Mike Scarpiello Tim Sussmann Arem Daich Claire Kelly Alex Godley Bhavyakirti Renee Podunovich Shahzad Baloch Matt Gleason Henery X Ossal Nelson Saurabh Dana Sanford Gianfranco Vigneri Bahora Saitova Mimi Toya

Recommended Reading:

  1. All The Odes by Pablo Neruda (edited by Ilan Stavans)
  2. Lighthead by Terrance Hayes
  3. The Pleasures of the Damned by Charles Bukowski
  4. The Record Players: DJ Revolutionaries by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton

2021 MDSHall is a poet and a creative, who is the creator and curator of The Bazaar of the Bizarre and a submissions editor for The POM, living in Illinois, also writing in association with the Writes of Passage, “forged on the wordwrights’ anvil,” and the Muse Echo Collective, Purveyors of the Poet Tree of Discoursing Drums beating by any dreams necessary.

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