The challenge this month was to write a poem in the form of monotetra. You can learn more about it at Writer's Digest. I believe I suggested this one when we were mapping out the year. It looked interesting and I'm always a sucker for form. This form includes any number of quatrains written in tetrameter (8 syllables in each line), with each quatrain using a single rhyme (mono-rhymed). The last line in each stanza repeats the same four syllables.
This was a lot harder than I imagined. I found the single rhyme hard to work with. I much prefer AB rhyme patterns. I wrote two really bad poems before I remembered our theme of transformation, so I started again. I'll admit to cheating a bit, as this poem has 3 lines with 9 syllables. I tried but couldn't find synonyms with the "right" number of syllables to make the lines 8 syllables. Oh well. I do have a poem to share, even though it feels unfinished. I think it needs one more stanza, perhaps something more hopeful. This is definitely a draft I will revisit.
- Tanita Davis
- Mary Lee Hahn
- Sara Lewis Holmes
- Kelly Ramsdell
- Laura Purdie Salas
- Liz Garton Scanlon
- Andi Sibley
Would you like to try the next challenge? Next month, we’re creating an Exquisite Corpse poem. These collaborative poems necessarily involve yourself and at least one other poet, passing lines or stanzas forward, so now’s the time to choose poetry compatriots. Are you in? Good! The Poetry Sisters are continuing with our 2023 theme of TRANSFORMATION – and we’re going to also sneak in a few of Linda Mitchell’s clunkers to give us more to play with. If you’re still game, you have a month to craft your creation and share it on August 25th in a post and/or on social media with the tag #PoetryPals.We look forward to reading your poems!
I hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Jan at BookSeedStudio. Happy poetry Friday, friends!
