Hello poet, friends,

When going through some ideas for the prompt I stumbled upon a rare form I think we have never done. It is called the bref double. It is a French form consisting of 3 quatrains and a couplet, making it a 14-line poem. Like a sonnet but certainly not a sonnet.

First of all, there is no requirement for a meter, though sources say that all lines should be of similar lengths. Secondly, the content is free, meaning that there is no requirement for a conclusion (or volta), and when it comes to rhymes it seems to be almost free as well. The sources are many and not always consistent.

What I have gathered so far:

It is built up from three end rhymes (a, b, and c)
It also includes unrhymed lines (x)
Rhymes a and b are used once in each of the quatrains and in the couplet
Rhymes c is used as end lines in each of the quatrains.

This would make these possible rhyme schemes

axbc-axbc-axbc-ab
abxc-abxc-abxc-ab
…

This is consistent with Robert Brewer of Reader’s Digest and seems to be the most referenced definition (in Englih)

Since this is a very rare form in English there are many sources that may say differently so I really want this prompt to also include a little bit of research (if you want to). If anyone knows French it might be possible to find more.

It is also very hard to find good examples of bref double in English (I am sure there are those in the community that knows more), so please take part in the discussion and send me examples and comments on what this form should be.

I wrote my first for the Poetics prompt yesterday

Gathering Dust

She was a hoarder, mom
saving pebbles and coins
random pictures and art.
collected, gathered, saved

With her glass in my palm
I recall the layers of dust
onto maps and the charts
for the stuff that she craved

Now in heaven, no qualms
she stuffs her infinite space
with goods filling her carts
happy now in her grave.

Dead, my mother is calm
never with things, she’ll part.

When you have written your bref on your blog and linked back to dVerse, link up to Mr. Linky below using the reference directly back to your blog entry.

If you feel like you want to have some further inspiration I do not mind the topic of your poem being dark and gothic.

Then read and comment. I hope we will find plenty of good poetry in this rather free form o poetry.

I might not have the time to write any entries myself as I will be going to a concert with Soweto Gospel Choir and will be home late so I will be coming in late to read your poem.