The Lai is a French syllabic verse form consisting of one or more stanza of nine lines with two rhymes, though the rhyme can vary from stanza to stanza. Here are features of the form.
- 9 lines.
- Rhyme scheme is a-a-b-a-a-b-a-a-b.
- Lines ending with rhyme a are five syllables in length.
- Lines ending with rhyme b are two syllables in length.
You can read more about this form and its variants at Poetry Form - The Lai. You can read an example at The Poet's Garret.
Leave me a note about your poem and I'll share the results in time for Poetry Friday.
NOT easy.
ReplyDeleteTo A New (Boy) Friend
Can there be a rhyme
That pierces my time,
A dart?
Or perhaps a chime
That counts out the time
We’re apart?
We’ve barely a dime
To pay for that tme.
Let’s start.
Jane Yolen
Agree. Not easy at all :)
ReplyDelete---
A Warning
The Vampires arise
Under savage skies
To seek
A suck-culent prize
Oh, how they despise
The meek
They've planned your demise
So say your goodbyes
This week.
---
(Ok, I admit that's a bit grim :) )
haha--that's funny, Vikram!
DeleteThis is tough, but I tried. Here's mine!
ReplyDeleteA Lai for Beginnings
students rollicking
like lambs gamboling
schools start
children flourishing
it’s encouraging
teachers smart
then astonishing
day’s end picnicking
warm heart
I love the other two-clever in the relationships-content & words-especially, even the grim one.
ReplyDeleteI totally forgot Vikram did vampires! (Was going to do zombies, but found a dearth of rhymes. Werewolves were worse.) Anyway...
ReplyDeleteOn Nights
On nights pulsific,
stark, tenebrific,
the squire
drifts out morbific,
his breath algific
and dire,
roams vaporific,
yearning specific—
vampire.
--Kate Coombs
Kate, You can never have too many Vampire poems, ever! :)
DeleteP.S. You significantly expanded my vocabulary with this one. Nice! :)
These are all good, guys. But I agree, the lai was hard--and I had a tough time giving up meter. So I didn't! Here're mine...
ReplyDeleteHaute Couture
She wore a red dress
to try to impress
my dad.
but I must confess
he couldn’t care less,
the cad!
‘cause she was a mess
despite that nice dress—
too bad.
Breaking-up
I didn’t say no
when you had to go—
I knew.
I tried not to show
my heart sinking low—
for you.
but I’ll always know,
and think of you, Jo—
with rue.
http://www.facebook.com/juliekrantzbooks
Yes! Giving up meter was hard. The eighth line of my poem totally ruined it for me, but I couldn't find the words to keep it going. Guess I need to keep revising ...
DeleteTHOSE PESKY COUSINS
ReplyDeleteMy sisters Connie,
Bonnie and Loni
hug me
My brothers Johnny
and Giovanni
dug me
My cousins Shawnee,
Tawny and Yani
mug me.
(c) Charles Waters 2012 all rights reserved.
Joy 8/31/2012 5:55 AM
ReplyDeleteIt is that 2 syllable line that is hard, just when you get going with the couplet, you have to break the flow with that abrupt 2 syllable line. Is it cheating to use feminine rhymes?
Here is my contribution in honor of tonight's blue moon.
Night Dreams
While I am sleeping
A lizard leaping
AWAKES!
My eyes start blinking
What was he thinking
MISTAKES!
Then I am screaming
I wasn't dreaming
LAND SAKES!
www.poetryforkidsjoy.blogspot.com
Joy Acey
Hey, Joy--nice to see you here. And great lai!
DeleteI love these! This form was really hard for me, and I admit I am way out of shape to begin with. YAY for Trisha getting us back online with the stretches!!! I posted my attempt at Lai for my Friday Poetry this week.
ReplyDelete“That’s One Small Step for [a] Man, One Giant Leap for Mankind”
ReplyDeleteBy Steven Withrow
“One small step for man”—
that’s how it began.
Right? Wrong?
’Cause my best friend, Dan,
says it doesn’t scan.
Armstrong
said he whispered an
“a” before the “man.”
So long!
Clever!
DeleteJane's right! This was not easy. Here's what I came up with.
ReplyDeletewords float in my head
scratched with pencil lead
not right
lines revised reread
onto paper bled
at night
desk with papers spread
by poetry led
to write
I feel as though I cheated a bit with led and lead, but I kept coming back to pencil lead and couldn't get it out of my mind.
Hey Tricia, isn't that called an exact rhyme? It works!
ReplyDeleteYes, though now that I reread I see I also used write and right! Perhaps I need a new rhyming dictionary ...
ReplyDeleteIdentity rhyme is the new black.
ReplyDeleteLord Mayor Goodwin
ReplyDeletequaffed tonic and gin
dead posh!
Lord Mayor Goodwin
waltzed with a hatpin
my gosh!
Lord Mayor Goodwin
kipped in a dustbin
pish posh!
--Carol-Ann Hoyte