Saturday, July 7, 2012

Prompt #108 – Monostitch Poems


The weather here has been unbearably hot and humid (8-10 consecutive days in the 90s, and 104º F. in today’s forecast) – not great weather for writing much of anything. So … I thought it might be fun and interesting to try writing monostitch poems this week.

A monostitch poem is a freestanding, one-line poem, balanced in its own time and place. Historically, the monostitch dates to ancient times (reportedly including the Roman poet Marcus Valerius Martialis, though I was unable to locate any examples). The form received attention again in late nineteenth century Russia when Valery Bryusov published this single-line poem in 1894:

О закрой свои бледные ноги.
(Oh, cover your pale legs.)

I’ve found a few “rules for monostitch poems” that may serve as guidelines for your writing this week.

A monostitch poem:
  1. should be a single line composed from 6 -12 syllables (though the syllable count is entirely flexible),
  2. should include at least one figure of speech (a metaphor, but never a simile because similes require more words), personification, or other poetic device,
  3. should not have any punctuation other than a capital letter at the beginning and terminal punctuation (period, question mark, or exclamation point) at the end,
  4. should be a complete thought and not a phrase or fragment,
  5. should express a complete idea or theme in such a way that the meaning and nuance of the poem is clear.

 Note: Monostitch titles are as important as the poems, so be sure to create a great title.

Example:

Coward by R. A. Ammons
Bravery runs in my family.

Now, find a cool spot, a shady place, a bench beneath the trees, or crank up the AC indoors and give monostitch poems a try. Here’s something to consider: maybe your monostitch will serve as a springboard for a longer poem. If that happens, go with it and see where your one-liner leads you!


17 comments:

  1. What a "COOL" idea! Something short and sweet to beat the heat (is that a poem?)

    Seriously, I'd not heard of this type of poetry before - there's always something interesting to learn on your blog! Thanks, Adele!

    Jamie

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  2. Replies
    1. So glad you enjoyed it, Jan! Thanks for your comment!

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  3. JAGO BIO INFO by Alessandro Panciroli.

    Io non sono quello che sono

    I am not what I am.

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    Replies
    1. A perfect monostitch, Jago! Thanks for posting!

      (We should have sent that to the magazine!)

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    2. You are right!

      Let's sent it...

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    3. Very nice, Jago! I think you got the spirit of the monostitch perfectly!

      Jamie

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  4. The tassel on my
    Lucky Chinese
    Buddha Beans
    is gently swaying.

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    Replies
    1. Wonderfully visual and with a bit of nuance that's intriguing. Thanks for posting, Risa!

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    2. Thanks for sharing this, Risa! I like the serenity of it.

      Jamie

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  5. I don't think this complies with the rules 100%, but I like this original piece (hope you do, too)....

    Thank God for Dentists

    the sons of bitches.

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  6. Written with feeling after a scary afternoon today:

    ROUTINE VISIT
    Fear stalks his prey when least expected

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    Replies
    1. Perfect! You hit the poem "right on the head" with the title and content! Thanks so much for sharing.

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  7. Interesting. I learnt something new today - Monostitch Poems. :)
    Thanks for the info.

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    1. Thanks so much for your comment, Hui Min. I'm glad to know that you found the prompt useful!

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