Trinet: Poetic Forms
Poetic Form Fridays are made to share various poetic forms. This week, we look at the trinet, a seven-line form based on word count.
Well, a week after looking at the trilonnet, let's discuss the trinet, which sounds similar but is not related in any discernible way that I can tell. I've found multiple examples and mentions of it online, and it was created by someone who goes by the name "zion."
Here are the guidelines:
- 7 lines
- Lines three and four have six words in each line
- All the other lines have two words per line
Some poets choose to center the poem for visual effect. However, there are no other restrictions for rhymes, subject matter, or syllables.
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Play with poetic forms!
Poetic forms are fun poetic games, and this digital guide collects more than 100 poetic forms, including more established poetic forms (like sestinas and sonnets) and newer invented forms (like golden shovels and fibs).
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Here’s my attempt at a Trinet Poem:
“foreword,” by Robert Lee Brewer
speak soft
listen hard
to the sound of her voice
telling you how it must be
moving forward
if there's
a forward
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
