For National Poetry Month this year, I am writing poems in uncommon, unusual, or inventive poetic forms. The only rule I have set for myself is that I choose forms I am unfamiliar with. Here are some of the resources I am referencing.
- 20+ Different (& Wild!) Poetry Forms for Inspiration
- A Strange Poetry
- Refrigerator, Blackout, And Other Radical Poetry Forms
- Experimental Poetry Forms
- 20 Fun Poem Types (You've Probably Never Heard Of)
Today's poem is a Punnett poem.
A punnett poem is a 9-line poem about a biological topic based on the ratios in a Punnett Square. The guidelines are:
- 9-lines
- word count per line is 1-2-1-2-4-2-1-2-1
- unrhymed
- the first line (word) of the poem must be a part of, or offspring of, the last line (word)
- center justified
This form was invented by Marc Arnts, who created it for a contest where he was charged with devising a form based on his occupation (biology teacher).
Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2025. All rights reserved.
I hope you come back tomorrow to see what new poetic form I've chosen. You can also read the other poems I've written this month.
- April 1 - Quintaine
- April 2 - Preposition poem
- April 3 - Lipogram poem
- April 4 - Venn diagram poem
To see what others are writing this month, check out Jama Rattigan's 2025 National Poetry Month Kidlitosphere Events Roundup.
I had to go look up Punnett Square and I'm still not sure how the ratios translate into the poetic form or why center justification is necessary, but I LOVE the science connection and that a teacher invented it! I'm wondering...is a word-count poem easier or harder than a syllable-count poem? I'm thinking easier. I'll have to try. And I'll be sure to enjoy the "colors / riot(ing) on / trees" today!
ReplyDeleteA 2x2 (4 square) heterozygous cross has a ratio of 1:2:1, so I see some of the numbers. There are two extra lines of 2 words. I'd love to know where they come from. I'd love to ask!
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