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Writer's pictureJohn Wood

Pink



This is a form known as a Double dactyl (or limerick on steroids!). It is usually humorous and consists of two stanzas, each comprising three lines of dactylic dimeter ( . . . . ) followed by a line consisting of just a choriamb (  . .  ).  The last lines of these two stanzas should rhyme.  The first line of the first stanza should be repetitive nonsense, and the second line of the first stanza should be the subject of the poem.  There is also a requirement for the second line of the second stanza to be a single double dactyl word!   It sounds complicated but you will quickly get the hang of it (if you enjoy that sort of thing!).


Tracily racily        

Lady Penelope

Talks to her teapot and

Paints her cars pink


Being unenlightened, she

Aristocratically

Smokes with a holder and

Likes to wear mink.

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8 Comments


I don't know what's more entertaining the poem or the poetic banter 😂

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John Wood
John Wood
Aug 01

Cryptical croptical

Poet with Parkinson's'

Opening stanza is

Perfectly clear.


But, in his second, he

acroamatically

Jumbles his meaning and

Loses me there!

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I think I agree with everything you say. 90% of my output is in a formal structure (though rarely rhyming); I value the discipline of that process, because it hopefully gives both rhythm and pulse to the reader, but also because it often leads into unexpected directions. I also enjoy unpacking and working on others' pieces; like another Wordle-type word game. It's also fruitful medication for the Parkinson brain. As I explained at the recent workshop, I want my pieces to involve the reader in as much research and work as the writer! As previously quoted:

'...and workmen from a stripy tent

who dig, survey, stop work for tea.

The choice is yours, no foreman here -

keep digging, drinking,…

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Goodily woodily

John Wood poetically

Posts on this website and

Sets us a task

 

Counting all metrics near

Monosyllabically

Writes with his dactyls and

Answers his ask.

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Daftily craftily

Poets with Parkinson’s

hosts all verse posted from

rhyming, blank, free

 

Needing degree in sums

Arithmetically

Is there too smithery

Muse granting prix?

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