April Poetry Month – A Poem a Day #25

I been in love with, and have used alliterations long before I knew there was a word for it. Alliterations are the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

Some examples of alliterations are: “towering trees”, “bouncing baby”, “fleeting fantasies”…you get the idea. In another example the alliterations are interrupted by non-alliterative words but the effect is the same. From Shakespeare: “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes; A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life.”

There is something about the repetition of consonants and sounds in a line of poetry or prose that is fun to say and pleasing to hear. Alliterations give verse a lyrical quality. Today I found a fun poetry form called the Alliterisen. It was developed by Udit Bhatia and is a simple seven-lined poem with a specific syllable pattern and two alliterations per line.

The syllable structure for the Complex Alliterisen is as follows allowing for infinite syllable sequences:

1st line- x syllables
2nd line- x+2 syllables
3rd line- x-1 syllables
4th line- (x+2)-1 syllables
5th line- x-2 syllables
6th line- (x+2)-2 syllables
7th line- x syllables

Note: this is Udit Bhatia’s description. I had to smile when I saw the algebraic quality of his structural guides. For example (x+2) – 1, if the x in question were 9 could easily be written, x+1 for the same result…10.  I mention this because I am extremely right-brained and the thought of algebra makes my head hurt! Don’t let the seemingly complicated rules keep you from trying this poetry form.  Here is a kinder, gentler version of the syllable structure:

1st line: x syllables
2nd line: x+2 syllables
3rd line: x-1 syllables
4th line: x+1 syllables
5th line: x-2 syllables
6th line: x syllables
7th line: x syllables

Dazzling Delusion

I am quite a quixotic, driveling dolt (10)
supposing somehow I possess the wit to write! (12)
Just how hard can four short verses be? (9)
My busy brain’s cacophony concocts a (11)
steady stream of  lovely, lilting, (8)
Rhyming, rhythmic, dazzling delusions, (10)
waxing poetic perfection in words. (10)

kat ~ 25 April 2016