Terzanelle: Poetic Forms
The terzanelle poetic form is what happens when you mix one Italian poem (terza rima) with another Italian poem (villanelle). It’s lyrical, repetitive, and concise–oh yeah, and fun!
What do you get when you mix two super popular Italian poetic forms, specifically the terza rima and villanelle? The terzanelle, of course!
It combines the lyricism of the terza rima with the repetition of the villanelle to make a powerful one-two punch in only 19 lines. The traditional stance on the terzanelle is that the lines should be written in a consistent iambic meter, but there are plenty of contemporary terzanelles that just aspire to keep the lines a consistent length throughout.
Here's the rhyme and refrain order for the Terzanelle:
A1
B
A2
b
C
B
c
D
C
d
E
D
e
F
E
f
A1
F
A2
*****
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).
*****
Here's my attempt at a Terzanelle:
"Big A"
The hardest thing to do is remember
what I just did and what I want to do.
I can still recall that one December
when both the moon and snow surrounded you
like a whisper. Am I losing my mind?
What I just did and what I want to do
vanish completely as soon as I find
the answer. The question a question mark
like a whisper, "Am I losing my mind?"
I've never felt comforted by the dark,
but I still remember that winter night
the answer, the question, and question mark
unraveled beneath the frozen moon's light
like there was something worthwhile to forget,
but I still remember that winter night
in the park in the dark when we first met.
The hardest thing to do is remember
as if there's something worthwhile to forget.
I can still recall that one December.
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.
