Contrapuntal Poem: Poetic Forms
Learn how to write contrapuntal poems, which is a fun form that intertwines multiple poems into one composition. Find the guidelines and an example for this poetic form here.
Let's look at our first poetic form of February: the contrapuntal poem.
Contrapuntal Poems
I've had difficulty in hunting down who originated contrapuntal poems, but it does appear to be influenced by the music world. Contrapuntal music is composed of multiple melodies that are relatively independent that are sounded together. In the poetic world, contrapuntal poems are poems that intertwine two (or more) separate poems into a single composition--often by offering one line of poem A and before a corresponding line in poem B from start to finish.
In an attempt to show how this works, I'm going to share two short independent poems before sharing my attempt at a contrapuntal poem.
The Light at the End, by Robert Lee Brewer
Before leaving the house
I saw the storms approach
and thought here it comes:
the end, a bright flash
of light across my face.
Then, I heard the thunder.
The Tunnel, by Robert Lee Brewer
Wandering these empty rooms
dark and devoid of life--
lonely moments to bend.
Of every lost love letter,
I remember the desire
shaking me inside and out.
*****
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 Contrapuntal Poem:
The Light at the End of the Tunnel, by Robert Lee Brewer
Before leaving the house,
wandering these empty rooms,
I saw the storms approach,
dark and devoid of life,
and I thought, here it comes:
lonely moments to bend
the end. A bright flash
of every lost love letter
of light across my face,
I remember the desire...
Then, I heard the thunder
shaking me inside and out.
*****
This form was fun to write, because it forced me to think of how to get three meanings from my words at once: the meaning of the first poem, meaning of the second poem, and, of course, the meaning of them in harmony.
By the way, there are multiple ways to contrapuntal poems. Here are a few other nice examples (in other words, better than mine) I could find online:
- I Do Have a Seam, by Jamaal May
- Aubade Ending With the Death of a Mosquito, by Tarfia Faizullah
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.
