|
Triolet |
|
|
|
The
triolet has eight lines, and it comes from a French word meaning “small
trio.” I have no idea how its name came about – it is one of
those enigmas of language - perhaps the "small trio" refers
to the three repititions of the first line.
Like a villanelle, It has only two rhymes, and two of the lines repeat. Here’s the layout: 1A first rhyme 1B second rhyme 2a rhymes with first line 1A repeat first line 3a rhymes with first line 2b rhymes with second line 1A repeat first line 1B repeat second line There is no hard and fast rule about meter, but once you have chosen the length of your line, the other lines that rhyme with it should be the same. It seems to have good flow if the “a” and “b” lines are different lengths. I had only seen humorous ones, but when I got around to trying to write one, I found it can be deceptively powerful - like the quick stabbing of a stiletto…and suddenly I realized that a poem I have loved all my life is actually one of these powerful triolets. Since you have the same pair of lines at the beginning and the end – that pair is a good place to begin. Especially that first line! It is really half of the entire poem! This triolet is frequently used to explain the form – even though it actually does not follow the correct rhyme scheme --G.K. Chesterton: I wish I were a jelly fish That cannot fall downstairs: Of all the things I wish to wish I wish I were a jelly fish That hasn't any cares, And doesn't even have to wish "I wish I were a jelly fish That cannot fall downstairs." This
triolet is, in every sense, perfect |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| scribbles | home | henneth annun | |