The Pantoum was originally a Malasian form of poetry. It was adopted and adapted by the French and became very popular with them. Fouinet, Hugo and Baudelaire, are amongst the foremost users of this form.
It became very popular with the French who liked it probably because of the way the quatrains were linked to each other.
Let's take a look at it.
The Pantoum has a rhyme scheme of, a, b, a, b,?b, c, b, c,...etc and as can be seen, the second and fourth line of the first Stanza, become the first and third lines of the following stanza and so on.
Unlike most of these strict repeating forms there is no set stanza count. The original Malay form does not need the last stanza to repeat back to the first. This makes the Pantoum ideal for narratives that demand repetition.
The French form however, does require you to circle back and the last line is the same as the first line. The accepted method seems to be to reverse lines one and three, so line line three of the first stanza becomes line two of the last and line one of the first stanza, becomes the final line of the poem.
Here is a wonderful example by Silverthorn:
Heartbeat
If I could bring one heartbeat back, I would
Recall that vanquished moment, recall that trace
Of pillaged time, demolished as we stood
Shrilling, yet unheard, in senseless space.
Recall that vanquished moment, recall that trace
Of unshed tears and every halted word,
Shrilling, yet unheard, in senseless space,
As elusively, predictably, I faltered.
Of unshed tears and every halted word,
There came no grace against your quiet wound,
As elusively, predictably, I faltered,
Collapsed against a vast and speechless sound.
There came no grace against your quiet wound,
The cancer's cell that mocked you with its knife;
Collapsed against a vast and speechless sound,
In quietude, I quit your kindred life.
The cancer's cell that mocked you with its knife,
I'll not forget the man it stole away,
In quietude, I quit your kindred life,
I'll taste regret with every shameful day.
I'll not forget the man it stole away,
I'll not forget your eyes that hosted death.
I'll taste regret with every shameful day,
I swear, my father, with my endmost breath.
I'll not forget your eyes that hosted death
Of pillaged time, demolished as we stood,
I swear, my father, with my endmost breath,
If I could bring one heartbeat back, I would.
~Silverthorn~
One very possible variation to this structure would be the Free Pantoum, a variation which follows the repetition of the Pantoum, but allows the freedom away from verse. This variation recognises the requirements to follow the similarities of form sans the verse requirements, so the form would be a, b, c, d,....b, e, d, f, and so on. If, the circle back is required, the final stanza becomes *, c, *, a. I firmly believe this will create some powerful poetry.
The pantoum lends itself very easily to the sonnet form. It is only necessary to present three stanzas and the mandatory two lines from the third stanza will form the final couplet. I would suggest the repetition would make it a very powerful sonnet form.
A poem for Chinese mother's who were forced to slay daughters
Pantoum for Chinese Women "At present, the phenomena of butchering, drowning and leaving to die female infants have been very serious." (The People's Daily,
Peking, March 3rd, 1983)
They say a child with two mouths is no good.
In the slippery wet, a hollow space,
Smooth, gumming, echoing wide for food.
No wonder my man is not here at his place.
In the slippery wet, a hollow space,
A slit narrowly sheathed within its hood.
No wonder my man is not here at his place:
He is digging for the dragon jar of soot.
That slit narrowly sheathed within its hood!
His mother, squatting, coughs by the fire's blaze
While he digs for the dragon jar of soot.
We had saved ashes for a hundred days.
His mother, squatting, coughs by the fire's blaze.
The child kicks against me mewing like a flute.
We had saved ashes for a hundred days.
Knowing, if the time came, that we would.
The child kicks against me crying like a flute
Through its two weak mouths. His mother prays
Knowing when the time comes that we would,
For broken clay is never set in glaze.
Through her two weak mouths his mother prays.
She will not pluck the rooster nor serve its blood,
For broken clay is never set in glaze:
Women are made of river sand and wood.
She will not pluck the rooster nor serve its blood.
My husband frowns, pretending in his haste
Women are made of river sand and wood.
Milk soaks the bedding. I cannot bear the waste.
My husband frowns, pretending in his haste.
Oh clean the girl, dress her in ashy soot!
Milks soaks our bedding, I cannot bear the waste.
They say a child with two mouths is no good.
Shirley Geok-lin Lim
The Crow
Finally before you die
You hear the cawing of a Crow.
In the tree near where you lie
Calling you down below
You hear the cawing of a Crow.
Its Satan's welcoming you
Calling you down below
The Crow is shouting out Halloo!
Its Satan's welcoming you
Its Heaven saying goodbye
The Crow is shouting out Halloo!
Hear the sounds as you die
Its Heaven saying goodbye
See it sitting above your door.
Hear the sounds as you die
Welcomes you to Hell with its caw
See it sitting above your door.
It's stringent voice, it's loud halloo
Welcomes you to Hell with its caw
You see the pit, what can you do?
It's stringent voice, it's loud halloo
Dragging you closer to the hole
You see the pit, what can you do?
Feel Hell pulling on your soul.
Dragging you closer to the hole
It's sulphurous reeking Stygian smell
Feel Hell pulling on your soul.
Guided by this bird from hell
The Biki
Oh, We Must Go To The Country
Oh, we must go to the country, you say.
As I hear this last, I see the acorns at my feet.
I see the rusted leaves of this autumn day
As we enter this path from the city street.
As I hear this last, I see the acorns at my feet.
And fondly observe the chipmunks at play
As we enter this path from the city street,
The country, you say. The country, you say
And fondly observe the chipmunks at play,
As the mist from the pond rises in welcome.
The country, you say. The country, you say.
To the beat of your own drum.
As the mist from the pond rises in welcome
We descend, I in my time, and you in yours
To the beat of your own drum
We are drawn to its shores
We descend, I in my time, and you in yours
There's a magic awaits, there's a magic I'm sure
We are drawn to its shores
Can't resist its allure
There's a magic awaits, there's a magic I'm sure
There's a spell that's been cast
Can't resist its allure
We're sensing its power, so stringent, so vast
There's a spell that's been cast
We know what it is, we know why its strong
We're sensing its power, so stringent, so vast.
The country, the country - 'tis been here all along.
Carly Svamvour
Depressions Mask
Golden smile masked by a frown;
She has no reason, and yet, she cries.
Friends, family puzzle, "Why is she down?
She leads such a charmed happy life."
She has no reason, yet still, she cries,
Locked in a cave inside her brain.
If she leads such a charmed happy life,
Why does she feel she's gone insane?
Locked in that cave inside her brain,
the chemicals have gone haywire;
Often she feels she's gone insane,
Securely stuck hip-deep in mire.
Brain chemistry has gone haywire,
A heart alone in shadows, gloom,
Securely stuck hip-deep in mire,
A dying flower wanting to bloom.
A heart alone in shadows, gloom,
Desperately tries to save itself;
This dying flower, wanting to bloom,
Spies her freedom on the shelf.
Desperately trying to save herself,
Inner pain far too much to bear,
She spies freedom on the shelf...
Can she do it, or does she care?
Inner pain far too much to bear,
She holds that key in her hand,
But she can't do it, she does care;
For her Life she must take a stand.
Holding the key in her hand,
She shuts door behind, goes into town.
For her Life she must take a stand,
Reclaim that smile masked by a frown.
InspiringOne
Again and again
Again and again, I kiss your lips
Knowing you can no longer feel me
Nor feel the touch of my fingertips
But I remember what used to be
Knowing you can no longer feel me
No longer able to feel your heat
But I remember what used to be
How strong our hearts used to beat.
No longer can I feel your heat
Death has not made us part
How strong our hearts used to beat.
I know I can still feel your heart.
Death has not made us part
Nor feel the touch of my fingertips
I know I can still feel your heart.
Again and again, I kiss your lips
The Biki
Love's Sweet Lure
The passion in your eyes burns bright as a star-
A radiant brilliance causing all time to stand still.
It's a quest that has taken me near and far,
I step to the well and drink my fill.
A radiant brilliance causing all time to stand still,
Your smile dizzies my mind, causes heart to race.
I step to the well and drink my fill,
Letting my Spirit soar through time and space.
Your smile dizzies my mind, causing heart to race.
Moonlit night gives way to the burning sun,
Letting my Spirit soar through time and space,
Absorbing your passionate heat as we become one.
Moonlit night gives way to the burning sun?
Inspired by lusty thoughts I give in to the thrill,
Absorbing your passionate heat as we become one,
Hoping the flesh is as strong as the Will.
Inspired by lusty thoughts I give in to the thrill-
Moments captured like portraits in my mind,
Hoping the flesh is as strong as the Will?
Magnetic carnal attraction the tie that binds.
Moments captured like portraits in my mind
Pulling me into the vortex of passion, love true.
Magnetic carnal attraction the tie that binds?
Thoughts of us pour from me into you.
Pulling me into the vortex of passion, love true,
Never a moment spent in the past.
Thoughts of us pour from me into you?
I hold on tight fearing this won't last.
Never a moment spent in the past-
Eyes open wide I peer into your soul?
I hold on tight fearing this won't last-
The night in your presence has taken its toll.
Eyes open wide I peer into your soul,
Reflections show the truth we seek-
The night in your presence has taken its toll;
Passion's release has left me trembling, weak.
Reflections show the truth we seek
As I realize you're not who I thought you were.
Passion's release has left me trembling, weak?
I await again for Love's sweet lure.
InspiringOne and Brian
I Take Leave
Once again I take leave of a place
At first, always love, at last, always strange
The original allure slips away with no trace
As History kisses her lover, Change
At first, always love, at last, always strange
A chance encounter tips a scale of thought
As History kisses her lover, Change
What once was everything, now is not.
A chance encounter tips a scale of thought
Boxes are packed and mementos are sealed
What once was everything, now is not
A sigh and a truth are at long last revealed
Boxes are packed and mementos are sealed
The original allure slips away with no trace
A sigh and a truth are at long last revealed
Once again, I take leave of a place
Leanna
The Yellow Jacket
While I sit, waiting, for a different one,
a yellow jacket buzzes to get in.
My mood grows blacker as minutes pass;
I wait and wait, but he doesn't come.
A yellow jacket buzzes to get in;
I'd like to kill him, yes I would,
as I wait and wait, and he doesn't come.
I stare at the screen with death-full glare.
I'd like to kill him, yes I would!
He said he'd be here hours ago;
I stare at the screen with death-full glare--
that buzzing is driving me insane!
He said he'd be here hours ago!
Rage fills my mind, shades sight to red--
this damn buzzing is driving me insane!
My face is possessed by an evil grin.
Rage fills my mind, shades sight to red,
as I see that yellow jacket got inside!
My face possessed by an evil grin,
he'll rue the day he crossed my screen!
As I see that the yellow jacket is inside,
I contemplate my mode of death.
He'll rue the day he crossed my screen
when the other one still had not arrived.
I contemplate my mode of death?
Decide on a long and torturous route
as the other one still has not arrived.
Will be my pleasure to watch him twitch!
I decide on the long and torturous route--
make him pay for the sins of them all!
With great pleasure I watch him twitch,
while I sit, waiting, for a different one.
InspiringOne
Repeating Poetry Poetry Part 1
The New Book of Forms, A handbook of poetics.
Lewis Turco.
The Norton Anthology of Poetry 4th Edition
Ferguson, Salter and Tallworthy
The Norton Introduction to Poetry
J. Paul Hunter (Editor)
The Complete Rhyming Dictionary (Revised)
Edited by Clement Wood Revised by Ronald Bogus
The New Princeton Handbook of Poetry and Poetic Terms
Alex Preminger and T.V.F. Brogan (Editor)
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Only after the last tree has been cut down Only after the last river has been poisoned Only after the last fish has been caught Only then can we realise that money can not be eaten - Cree Indian Prophesy |
