poetry Poetry Prompt 8 – Quatrains

[AC Benus]

Poetry Prompt 8 – Quatrains 

 

Let's Write some Quatrains! 

Last prompt we took a major step forward, although it was so smooth (    ) you may not have noticed it. We went from lyric poetry, with its rhythms based on lines of 6 or 8 syllables to narrative poetry, where the line lengths are set at 10 or 12 syllables.

The Quatrain is a storytelling device, and unlike the simple heartstrings of the Lyric form, the narrative qualities of the Quatrain can move a reader along just like a story does: with a beginning, a middle (development) and an end. And although the term can be used to talk about any 4-lined strophe of verse, for us it means something specific. It means four lines rhymed a-b-a-b, and having a total of 40 syllables, 10 per line.

The history of why 10 syllables became the standard storytelling form in English is a bit odd. Classical Latin and Greek poetry is remarkably consistent in favoring 12 beats per line, and even Chaucer wrote that way. The Earl of Surrey was the great innovator, for in his work in translating Italian sonnets into English, he fell into a natural 10 beat rhythm, which he later used un-rhymed and called 'Blank Verse.' Without him, we would not have the English Sonnet or the blank verse that folks like Marlowe and Shakespeare used so well.

Inspiration? Oh yeah, there are a lot of fantastic Quatrains in the English language, don't worry about that! Here is a little gem, and sorry about the carnage

 

That drinks and still is dry. At last they perished –

His second son was levelled by a shot;

His third was sabred; and the fourth, most cherished

Of all the five, on bayonets met his lot.

(Canto Eight, Don Juan, Byron)   

 

Byron rather smoothly uses the Quatrain in a conversational style to simply tell us what happened to this poor man's children. Other times nothing can surpasses the grandeur of the Quatrain to talk about our personal stories of love, like this one:  

 

When wasteful war shall statues overturn,

And broils root out the work of masonry,

Not Mars his sword, nor war's quick fire shall burn,

The living record of your memory.

(Sonnet 55, Shakespeare)

 

For a contemporary poet using the Quatrain to great effect, check out the following link to a work by Gert Strydom.

 

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/if-there-is-something-more-wreathed-quatrains-in-answer-to-edgar-allan-poe/

 

So, if you are thinking of tackling your own Quatrain, how do you start? Start with the story you wish to tell, and it can be a simple one. How the coffee spilled in the car and made you late for work; how the puppy wags his tail and makes your blues disappear; how the flowers are blooming now because you laid mulch down last autumn. You get the picture – you can write about the Trojan War if you want to, but I'm sure you have your own stories, so use 'em!

Once you know what you want to story-tell about, I suggest you write out the first two lines. Review. Are they in the proper metre? Are the two words at the end of the lines easy to come up with a rhyme for? If so, write the next two lines. Done. If NOT, then tweak the first two lines until you have the rhythm, and have words that you can think of easy and natural rhymes for. Only then proceed to the last two.  

The prompt: write two Quatrains. One inspired by the sights of spring around you right now (or autumn, if you are below the Equator). And a second one telling us how you feel inside about it. It can be happy or sad, or indifferent – it's all up to you! Keep the Quatrains to four lines, rhyming a-b-a-b, and 10 syllables per line. Don't get frustrated, just have fun with it.  

 

 

 

Edited February 2, 2023 by AC Benus

[Dolores Esteban]

Here's my reply. Just a little poem.

 

Spring

 

Thanks for the prompts. I liked this one, too. The second part of the poem - tell how you feel inside -  was harder to write.

[AC Benus]

Here's my reply. Just a little poem.

 

Spring

 

Thanks for the prompts. I liked this one, too. The second part of the poem - tell how you feel inside -  was harder to write.

Thank you, Dolores! I love your poem, and somehow I have a feeling you could continue it if you wanted. I left a review on your posting, but I want to say again, thank you for supporting these prompts, and always contributing such great work.  

[Aditus]

Perfect. I'm writing the Quatrains as well as poetry prompt 7 while trying to complete NaPoWriMo. It's only the 7th, but so far I'm hopefull to reach the finish line.

[AC Benus]

Perfect. I'm writing the Quatrains as well as poetry prompt 7 while trying to complete NaPoWriMo. It's only the 7th, but so far I'm hopefull to reach the finish line.

That's awesome, Adi!

[totallyy]

I tried my hand at this. https://www.gayauthors.org/forums/story/totallyy/rhymes/12

Edited April 8, 2015 by totallyy

[totallyy]

I cheated a little. and only wrote one stanza of 12 syllables each for both parts. i obviously have problems with reading instructions

Edited April 8, 2015 by totallyy

[Aditus]

Thank you for the prompt! It was a big help to write no. 7 and no.8, only 22 to go...haha.

 

Spring Words/Strong Words

[AC Benus]

Thank you for the prompt! It was a big help to write no. 7 and no.8, only 22 to go...haha.

 

Spring Words/Strong Words

That was great! I hope you can go back to the older prompts and 'mine' them for more forms to explore as you work on your April poem-a-day challenge

 

And keep up with the Quatrain!!!

Edited April 8, 2015 by AC Benus

[AC Benus]

I tried my hand at this. https://www.gayauthors.org/forums/story/totallyy/rhymes/12

Thanks for taking the challenge!

[AC Benus]

I cheated a little. and only wrote one stanza of 12 syllables each for both parts. i obviously have problems with reading instructions

One thing I do to get my metre right is say my line out loud before I start writing it down. If it has too many syllables, say 12 beats instead of 10, I keep re-saying it and testing out different words or different arrangements of the same words. Chanting it also helps to get the rhythm right, for it does not have to be in a rigid bump-bump pattern, but it should always sound natural to the ear. Remember with the longer poetry-line in English the metre is geared to tell a story, and of course, storytelling is meant to be spoken out loud more than read. So please give this little technique a try. Thanks for taking the challenge!            

[AC Benus]

Thanks for the prompts. I liked this one, too. The second part of the poem - tell how you feel inside -  was harder to write.

Thanks for supporting the poetry prompts; I always look forward to your contributions!

[AC Benus]

Yes, but I'd like you all to take your April poem-a-day challenge as a good time to crank on those Quatrains! Why..? Well, let me put it this way, the May poetry prompt is an important one - one that all the others have been leading up to. So, now that you are writing a poem everyday, practice on the Quatrain, practice, practice, practice, for the more you do the happier you will be come May

[MrM]

My submission:

https://www.gayauthors.org/story/mrm/MPoetry/8

 

It again is a tie in to a fantasy piece I've been writing for a while now.

 

Thanks for the Prompt, AC.

[AC Benus]

My submission:

 

https://www.gayauthors.org/story/mrm/MPoetry/8

 

It again is a tie in to a fantasy piece I've been writing for a while now.

 

Thanks for the Prompt, AC.

Thanks for taking the challenge! I'll leave a review for you on the piece itself. 

[Puppilull]

A couple of autumn quatrains, since I'm late to the party as usual...

 

https://www.gayauthors.org/story/puppilull/puppilullspoetryprompts/11

Edited September 21, 2015 by Puppilull

[AC Benus]

A couple of autumn quatrains, since I'm late to the party as usual...

 

https://www.gayauthors.org/story/puppilull/puppilullspoetryprompts/11

never too late to party

[Headstall]

This Prompt... this challenge, has been taunting me for a week, but I had other things to write first. As usual, I found I needed to write more than the required two... so I wrote three quatrains...

 

https://www.gayauthors.org/story/headstall/headstallspoetryprompts/13

[AC Benus]

This Prompt... this challenge, has been taunting me for a week, but I had other things to write first. As usual, I found I needed to write more than the required two... so I wrote three quatrains...

 

https://www.gayauthors.org/story/headstall/headstallspoetryprompts/13

Thanks, Gary. This is a beautiful poem, and I've left a review for you on the actual posting. It's cool that you opted for three Quatrains, as the next challenge - the Sonnet - requires exactly that. Well done.

[Mikiesboy]

Here is my attempt... 

 

https://www.gayauthors.org/forums/story/mikiesboy/timmysjournal

[AC Benus]

Here is my attempt... 

 

https://www.gayauthors.org/forums/story/mikiesboy/timmysjournal

Thanks for taking the poetry prompt challenge! I like them a lot, and left you a review.  

[Mikiesboy]

Thanks for taking the poetry prompt challenge! I like them a lot, and left you a review.

But they aren't quite right, right? 

[AC Benus]

But they aren't quite right, right? 

Quatrains provide a unique opertunity and challenge for us poets. Ideally, they should sound as natural possible, and that means the hard work for us of making one sentence over four lines and 40 syllables. Like this example: 

 

When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,

I all alone beweep my outcast state,

And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,

And look upon myself and curse my fate.

 

Quatrains provide a unique opertunity and challenge for us poets. Ideally, they should sound as natural possible, and that means the hard work for us of making one sentence over four lines and 40 syllables. Like this example: 

 

When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,

I all alone beweep my outcast state,

And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,

And look upon myself and curse my fate.

 

Oh well, we can all strive for Shakespeare's perfection...not that we'll get there