It's time this week to revisit and old (i.e. - one we've already played with) form. An abecedarian poem is one in which the verses or words begin with successive letters of the alphabet. Here is an excerpt from a poem found in The Monarch's Progress: Poems With Wings by Avis Harley.
So, the challenge this week is to write in the abecedarian form. Leave me a comment about your poem and I'll post the results here later this week.
Wintering Over
by Avis Harley
Amazing
Blazing
Clusters
Decorate
Entire
Forest
Groves.
Hanging
In
Jeweled
Kingdoms
...
Psalm 119 (King James numbering) is also an abecedarian poem.
Poets.org has more information about the abecedarian form.
Poets.org has more information about the abecedarian form.
So, the challenge this week is to write in the abecedarian form. Leave me a comment about your poem and I'll post the results here later this week.
WOW! My mind is blown! The Bible has not one, but several abecedarian acrostics??!?! Who knew? (Obviously, not me. But now I do. Thanks for continuing my education!) I love the one in The Monarch's Progress. Let's see if I can try one of my own this week...
ReplyDeleteTricia,
ReplyDeleteHave you read Julie Larios's poem "Double Abecedarian: Please Give Me"? I found it in THE BEST AMERICAN POETRY 2006. I'm in awe of Julie's poetry-writing abilities.
Thanks for pointing this out, Elaine. I loved it! It reminded me of some of the work of Barbara Hamby that I'm so fond of.
ReplyDeleteFor anyone who wants to read Julie's poem, try this link.
Double Abecedarian: Please Give Me
Some surprises here. To me at any rate.
ReplyDeleteChanges
A
Bunched
Caterpillar
Dozes
Exhausted,
Forming
Green
Hairpins
In
Jellied
Kingdoms.
Lying
Motionless,
Not
Overplaying
Pupa-ness,
Quite
Ready
(Sort of)
To
Unfold
Varicose
Wings with an
eXacting
Yellow
Zipper.
c 2009 Jane Yolen
You know, as hard as I try, I can't get single-word lines to work, alphbetically. I've tried many times, and I'll put my head to it again until Friday, but meanwhile, I'll post another double-abecedarian written tonight over at The Drift Record just for laughs. Maybe I'll post two, as long as we're laughing. Double abecedarians do whatever they want to do, there's no stopping them.
ReplyDeleteApparently, I can't spell "alphabetically" either.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that alphabetically isn't.
ReplyDeleteThis is kind of an abecedarian and a half, but it's just A Few Short Lines
ReplyDeleteHere's my attempt. It needs a non-abecedarian ending, I think. Find it
ReplyDeletehere
Tiel--that is exquisite.
ReplyDeleteJane
Hi, Tricia! I've been keeping up with reading these for weeks and weeks and am delighted to be able to participate this week.
ReplyDeleteYou can find mine at:
http://havingwrit.blogspot.com/2009/06/still-cloudy.html
Well, tried my hand at an abecedarian here. Will be back over the weekend to read all the responses. I know I'm in for a treat, based on the couple I've seen already!
ReplyDeletehttp://laurasalas.livejournal.com/159602.html