Thursday, September 18, 2014

Pantoum

The pantoum is a poem of indefinite length made up of stanzas whose four lines are repeated in a pattern: lines 2 and 4 of each stanza are repeated as lines 1 and 3 of the next stanza, and so on as shown below. 

___________________________(Line 1)
___________________________(Line 2)
___________________________(Line 3)
___________________________(Line 4)

___________________________(Line 5) - same as line 2
___________________________(Line 6) 
___________________________(Line 7) - same as line 4
___________________________(Line 8)

___________________________(Line 9) - same as line 6
___________________________(Line 10)
___________________________(Line 11) - same as line 8
___________________________(Line 12)
And so on...

Part of the pleasure of the pantoum is the way its recurring lines gently and hypnotically twine in and out of one another, and the way they surprise us when they fit together in unexpected ways. Write a pantoum comprised of 6-8 stanzas, with meaningfully intertwined lines. Try to create an unexpected juxtaposition between the lines to achieve surprise or irony.

Example from Christopher Lane: 

A man outside my window
The cat meowed and purred
I kneel by the fire
The darkness comes soon

The cat meowed and purred
She walked between my legs
The darkness comes soon
The stars will guide my way

She walked between my legs
She ran into the house
The stars will guide my way
I walk the beaten path

She ran into the house
Hiding away from me
I walk the beaten path
Stone, sand, and shell

Hiding away from me
The man peeks out
Stone, sand and shell
I stumble to the ground

The man peeks out
He hides behind the tree
I stumble to the ground
I'm running out of steam

Night turns to day
I kneel by the fire
Tapping at the glass
A man outside my window

11 comments:

  1. Waves crashing against the shore
    The water sparkling like the stars
    The moon illuminates it’s movement
    The sea foam rises

    The water sparkling like the stars
    Topaz hidden in the waves
    The sea foam rises
    And takes on the colour of clouds

    Topaz hidden in the waves
    The water keeps on crashing
    And takes on the colour of clouds
    It warms from the activity below


    The water keeps on crashing
    And the sand glistens in the night
    It warms from the activity below
    The turtles are hatching

    And the sand glistens in the night
    The time has finally
    The turtles are hatching
    Their journey begins

    The time has finally come
    Another student is going to be added to the school of the sea
    Their journey begins
    And the waters accept it’s new residents

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really like this a lot. Another student is going to be adde to the school of the sea is a brilliant line. Great Job!

      Delete
  2. I was walking in the dark
    The moon lit up the dark sky
    I was lost and had nowhere to go
    I need to find my home soon

    The moon lit up the dark sky
    I’ll continue to walk
    I need to find my home soon
    I think I’m almost there

    I’ll continue to walk
    On this treacherous path
    I think I’m almost there
    I see my house!

    I feel like someone is chasing me
    I hope I wont end up injured
    My only goal is getting inside the house
    Hopefully I will make it

    I hope I won’t end up injured
    I am really close to my house
    Hopefully I will make it
    By the way, I am really hungry

    I am really close to my house
    I open up the door
    By the way, I am really hungry
    I made it home!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Loved this until the really hungry line. The rest is very good. See, you can write poetry.

      Delete
  3. The pain shoots into my leg
    The leg twists
    Tears fall from my face
    I eventually can’t handle it

    The leg twists
    I over rotated my twist full
    I eventually can’t handle it
    I saw my bone snap

    I over rotated my twist full
    I have never seen something so nauseating
    I saw my bone snap
    The blood drips all over the mat

    I have never seen something so nauseating
    My face has gone pale white
    The blood drips all over the mat
    My teammates look distress

    My face has gone pale white
    The excruciating pain moves up into my brain
    My teammates look distress
    I have never seen such sorrow

    The excruciating pain moves up into my brain
    I begin to get dizzy
    I have never seen such sorrow
    My dream’s are slowly dying

    I begin to get dizzy
    Winning Worlds seem nonexistent
    My dream’s are slowly dying
    And then I woke up...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Winning Worlds seem non-existent is an incredible line.

      Delete
  4. The pain is too much
    The pressure is hard to take
    The waves are breaking over him
    It seems like a heavy choice to make

    The pressure is hard to take
    It’s the only way he can escape
    It seems like a heavy choice to make
    The arms of the ocean will carry him

    It’s the only way he can escape
    He’s slipping underneath
    The arms of the ocean will carry him
    So cold and so sweet

    He’s slipping underneath
    Looking up,fractured moonlight on the sea
    So cold and so sweet
    He’s found a place to rest his head

    Looking up, fractured moonlight on the sea
    He’s not giving up, he’s just giving in
    He’s found a place to rest his head
    Now he is under

    He’s not giving up, he’s just giving in
    There’s no need to pray or speak
    Now he is under
    Drowning so peacefully


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. WOW. Incredible poem. You definitely have a gift. This is beautiful.

      Delete
  5. The Moon and the Sun,
    Night and the day.
    Darkness and Light,
    Cold and the Flames.

    Night and the Day,
    Both important to the Earth.
    Cold and the Flames,
    They both can kill you.

    Both important to the Earth,
    Without them both, we will surely die.
    They will both kill you,
    The Light and darkness of the world.

    Without them both, we will surely die,
    Had the best time and now it’s the worst time.
    The Light and darkness of the world,
    When the sky is grey, it is between the Sun and the Moon.

    Had the best time and now it’s the worst time,
    The world will come to an end, and so will they.
    When the sky is grey, it is between the Sun and the Moon,
    But it looks so amazing.

    The world will come to an end, and so will they,
    Out in space.
    but it looks so amazing,
    You can’t beat the view.

    ReplyDelete
  6. My passion thrives for basketball
    In the gym all day
    Sweat and tears come out
    Coaches make me work hard

    In the gym all day
    practice is always so hard
    Coaches make me work hard
    Thier voice is soo loud

    Practice is always so hard
    I always try my hardest
    Their voice is soo loud
    The drills improve my skills

    I always try my hardest
    No matter what it takes
    The drills improve my skills
    Every minute burns me inside

    No matter what it takes
    I will never give up
    Every minute burns me inside
    Cutting away at my body

    I will never give up
    In the gym with others practicing
    Cutting away at my body
    But never give up on my passion

    ReplyDelete
  7. A man watching me outside my window
    He was old and scary
    He hide be hide my bushes
    Looking directly at me


    He was old and scary
    With gray short hair
    And a long beak nose
    He started singing scary songs

    With gray short hair
    He stood at my window
    Saying boo-boo
    I got scared and ran down stairs

    He stood at my window
    Waving his hand at me
    Telling me to come out
    I shut my window

    Waving his hand at me
    I began to close my window
    And the close my blinders
    I was scared to death

    I began to close my window
    I closed it shut
    So he wouldn’t see me
    Ever again!

    I closed it shut
    It scared me so much
    That he was looking at me
    I ended it for good!

    ReplyDelete