Another Refrain August

ARA is the next in a set of challenges we have created for the year. It features the forms that repeat sentences or 'refrains'.

Refrains bring a sense of continuity and balance to a piece. They can also be a royal pain in the ass. There are a few forms that feature this technique, but this month we will only focus on five.


1. Villanelle
2. Pantoum
3. The Lai Nouveau
4. Triolet
5. Cascade

Villanelle

The villanelle is a well known torture device in most poetic circles. It originated in France and features 5 stanzas of three lines and 1 stanza of four lines (envoi). The meter is usually either pentameter or tetrameter, a strict rhyming scheme and refrains.

The structure is as follows: A1,b, A2 | a, b, A1| a, b, A2 | a, b, A1| a, b, A2 | a, b, A1, a2.

Example



Pantoum

The pantoum is another French form. It features quatrains and refrains. It has to have more than one stanza and it wraps itself up nicely as a form. A three stanza pantoum scheme would be this:

A,B,C,D | B,E,D,F | E,A,F,C.

Example

DFC 04 I.P.A.S.O.Y. PantoumA world ends on wings of her breath
She whispers in my ear insanity
So things once true turn out stale
Leaving me paralysed-hypno-enticed
She whispers in my ear insanity
And I'm wishing it all away
Leaving me paralysed-hypno-enticed
Eyes like sparkles iced dew smiles
And I'm wishing it all away
Like a blood washed hurricane
Eyes like sparkles iced dew smiles
Whorling sleet mud and flesh
Like a blood washed hurricane
So things once true turn out stale
Whorling sleet mud and flesh
A world ends on wings of her breath

The Lai Nouveau

The Lai Nouveau is a cross between a Villanelle and a Lai, being that there is a rhyme and meter to it as well as refrains. You can have 2 or more stanzas with each stanza being eight lines long.

The syllabic count per stanza is 5,5,2,5,5,2,5,5. The scheme is as follows: A1A2baabaab | aabaabaA1 | aabaabaA2 | aabaabA2A1.

Example

Welcome, Sweet Helen -DFC Day 18Welcome to heaven.
Welcome, sweet Helen.
Ripe hate
Lingers here. Lessen
Your soul's oppression.
Berate,
Ponder and question
Your bloody beckon.
Dead at eleven.
Dying since seven.
Dictate
Your own procession.
This is transgression,
Negate
Your souls Recession.
Welcome to heaven.

Triolet

The triolet is another fun French form. It is an eight line poem or stanza that follows a strict rhyme scheme and meter and also has refrains. The scheme is as follows: A, B, a, A, a, b, A, B.

Example

Spread Love
Let’s spread love everywhere we go
To every city and every town
Let’s not forget the ones we know
Let’s spread love everywhere we go
Yes let us make it so
Let’s leave no town sitting with a frown
Let’s spread love everywhere we go
To every city and every town
Cascade

The cascade was created by Udit Bhatia and follows a simple format. It has no rhyme structure however it instead uses refrains to give it a waterfall, cascading effect. Each line of the first stanza becomes the last line of the successive stanzas. The more lines you have per stanza, the more stanzas you need to complete the poem.  

The scheme for a terzain cascade (three line stanzas) is: ABC | deA | fgB | hiC.

Example

WunderbarJust once she wanted to try something new
She forgot to be faithful, tried and true
And now she sinks, bloody into the ocean blue
I watched her with her husband all day
In and out, the same thing again and again
Just once she wanted to try something new
I told her a place where dreams and fantasies take form
And she went and filled her mind with wondrous excitement
She forgot to be faithful, tried and true
Her husband found out when she went out one night
I watched him wait, and when she returned his rage came forth
And now she sinks, bloody into the ocean blue.


Specifics

This challenge will run from today until September 1st 12am GMT

Please link back to this journal and state which form you have chosen to do in your artist's comments.

Note us with any piece so we can collect them in the Another Refrain August folder.

Have fun and push yourself.