Waltmarie: Poetic Forms
Poetic Form Fridays are made to share various poetic forms. This week, we look at the Waltmarie poetic form invented by Candace Kubinec, along with two of her examples.
This week, a Poetic Asides member shared a poetic form she created. While I don't usually share nonce forms, I've tried this one myself, and I think it's a lot of fun. So without further ado, I'm introducing Candace Kubinec's form, the Waltmarie (which is itself a nod to PA members and Poetic Bloomings hosts, Marie Elena Good and Walter J. Wojtanik).
Here are the guidelines for writing the Waltmarie:
- 10 lines
- Even lines are two syllables in length, odd lines are longer (but no specific syllable count)
- Even lines make their own mini-poem if read separately
No other rules for subject or rhymes.
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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 are two examples of the Waltmarie by Candace Kubinec:
Building a Snowman, by Candace Kubinec
They waited for the world to turn white -
frozen
Rolled balls of snow, bigger and bigger -
child-size
Broken twigs from the apple tree for arms, two hands -
mittens
He stood, smiling his pebble smile, until the warm sun appeared -
dripping
Then slowly disappeared, until only a memory remained -
stories
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On the Bench at Night, by Candace Kubinec
I sit as still as a human can -
patient
The sun has set and dusk has settled -
quiet
I try to match my breath to the gentle breeze -
calmly
Small creatures emerge from daylight hiding places -
searching
And my heart sends out a quiet message -
for you
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.
