formal poetry – A Wandering Minstrel

The Pantoum

I’ve been learning about a new poetic form: the pantoum. This is a Malaysian form consisting of quatrains (four line sections or stanzas); the second and fourth lines in one stanza become the first and third lines of the following stanza. The first and third lines of the first stanza are then repeated as theContinueContinue reading “The Pantoum”

Rules for the Dance—Mary Oliver

Previously, I posted about Mary Oliver’s book, A Poetry Handbook. I read it twice, and also purchased her book Rules for the Dance: A Handbook for Writing and Reading Metrical Verse. This book, focused on more traditional forms of poetry, is just as excellent; since it’s short, I’m on my second read through. Just asContinueContinue reading “Rules for the Dance—Mary Oliver”