Hello dVerse Poets! How are you? Are you busy writing a poem a day this month? This is Merril from southern New Jersey hosting the Meeting the Bar challenge today. Spring is in full swing here! Meeting the Bar (MTB) means the challenge is to write a poem in the specified form. Today’s form is the pantoum. Many of you have written at least one pantoum before, but we haven’t featured it as an MTB challenge since 2019. It can be a challenging form, but perhaps it’s familiarity will make it somewhat easier in this busy month of poetry prompts.
As we see nature’s patterns and history repeating, the pantoum seems a good form to revisit. Today is the fourth anniversary of my mom’s death from Covid in the first wave–when the world was shut down. But I remember in my grief, how beautiful spring was, and how the flowers continued to bloom.
The pantoum is a form created by Malaysian poets, but originally, they were spoken poems dating from before the fifteenth century.
“Pantoum definition: a poem of any length, written in quatrains, in which the second and fourth lines of one stanza are repeated as the first and third, respectively, in the next stanza.” (Source: https://writers.com/how-to-write-a-pantoum-poem)
There are variations in pantoums. For this challenge you may write a pantoum with rhymed or unrhymed lines. However, you must use the third line of your first stanza as the second line in your final quatrain AND end with the first line. You may change/add some words and punctuation in your repeating lines to make the lines fit or to alter the context.
Here is a template for the form:
Line 1
Line 2
Line 3
Line 4
Line 5 (repeat of line 2)
Line 6
Line 7 (repeat of line 4)
Line 8
Etc.
Last stanza:
Line 2 of previous stanza
Line 3 of first stanza
Line 4 of previous stanza
Line 1 of first stanza
If you want to use rhyme, the scheme is ABAB, BCBC, etc. and the final stanza is ZAZA.
Examples:
This heartbreaking one from Natalie Diaz, “My Brother at 3 A.M.”
Here is an example of one that rhymes by A.E. Stallings, “Another Lullaby for Insomniacs.”
For the prompt: Write a pantoum, according to the outline and directions above. It may be rhymed or unrhymed. You must repeat lines, as noted above. Your first line should be repeated as the final line of the poem.
Typical themes for pantoum poems are grief and love, or social commentary.
Because this is Poem in a Pocket Day, here are some optional themes:
- Pockets—I think it might be difficult to sustain this form in a poem about literal pockets; however, consider using pockets as a metaphor.
- Take a line from one of your own poems to use as your starting point.
- Continue with spring/autumn themes—birth and rebirth, flowering, shadows, death, grief, and the passing of time/seasons.
This is poetry month, and many of us are writing to various poem a day challenges. I appreciate it if you have the time and inclination to write to this prompt!
Once you’ve posted your poem according to the guidelines above, add the link of your post to Mr Linky below. Then visit and read other contributors and leave a comment. That’s part of the fun of dVerse!
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Good evening and happy poeting… it is a tricky form as all with repeated lines… I tend to tweak them a little to make it make more sense…
Happy to be here, and thank your for the prompt..
merrildsmith said:
I’m glad you enjoyed the prompt. I tweaked mine a bit, too. 🙂
paeansunplugged said:
Hi Merril. Not busy writing a poem a day but busy otherwise. Pantoum is a beautiful form. Thanks for the prompt. Love the poems you have shared.
merrildsmith said:
Thank you so much, Punam! This month just seems to be crazy-busy! 😊
paeansunplugged said:
It does! 😅
You are welcome.
kim881 said:
Good evening poets, and thank you Merril for the pantoum prompt. I look forward to some stunning poems.
merrildsmith said:
You’re welcome, Kim. I look forward to reading them!
merrildsmith said:
Hello, dVerse Poets! Welcome to the pub! Monday it was almost summery, but today it’s chilly in southern New Jersey. We have some speciality coffee and tea drinks, as well as a lovely Malbec on tap. I’ve baked mandelbrot–cookies like biscotti. We call them Mommy cookies because they’re my favorite. I used to make them for my mom, too. Mine have walnuts, almonds, and dark chocolate chips with cinnamon-sugar on top. Of course, we have anything else you’d like at our virtual bar!
I can’t wait to see read you pantoums!
Grace said:
Thank you for such a challenging form. I had fun with trying to follow the pattern. Those cookies are delicious. I am still out but will visit and read poems later when I get home.
merrildsmith said:
Wonderful, Grace! And you’re welcome!
dorahak said:
Hello Merril and Happy Pantouming everyone! Licking this one into shape took some doing, but what fun! I would love to try those mandelbrots, since I love biscotti. Thanks for hosting, Merril. 😀
merrildsmith said:
You are very welcome, Dora. The cookies are delicious, if I do say so myself. Your poem did not seem forced into shape at all!
msjadeli said:
Hello Merril and All. Thanks for the prompt that urged me to write a pantoum. It’s been awhile.
merrildsmith said:
Happy to give you that nudge, Li!
Helen said:
Sending hugs your way, I know how much the anniversary of your Mother’s passing hurts. I’m thinking a caramel latte with whipped cream would taste yummy today. I don’t believe I have tried this form but will give it a good go!!!
merrildsmith said:
Here is your caramel latte with whipped cream! I look forward to reading yours, Helen!
Helen said:
Thank you for liking my pantoum … it took the better part of two hours after I decided to write about the Tango and all its weaving ins and outs. It ended up being a fun challenge.
merrildsmith said:
I’m glad you had fun with it, Helen. It took me a while to write mine, as well. And after I first wrote it, I realized I had messed up the last stanza, so I had to rewrite it, and then revise the rest. Your tango theme was a great idea.
marialberg said:
This added a really fun challenge to today’s poem. I enjoyed it.
merrildsmith said:
I’m so pleased you did!
rog said:
hi Merrill
hi poets
thanks for this prompt enjoyed writing this. I’ll have a mom biscuits in honour of all the lost moms out there somewhere looking down on us.
rog
merrildsmith said:
You are welcome, Rog. Your comment touched my heart. I will by to read yours after dinner.
lillian said:
Thanks for hosting, Merril. A challenging form indeed….to make the sense of the poem flow with repeating lines is tough. Shall get to catching up with my reading now….for others’ pontoums and Tuesdays’ prompt as well. Time just got away from me. Will also have lots of time this weekend to catch up with reading as I’ll be at my daughter’s house. She and her husband will be away this weekend so I am mainly dog sitting, although my beautiful 16 year old granddaughter will be there as well. The dog craves much more attention! 🙂
merrildsmith said:
You’re welcome, Lillian. I understand about catching up with reading! Thank you for responding to the prompt. And have fun dog sitting and being with your granddaughter!
Rob Kistner said:
Thank you for hosting Merril. 🙂 Was inspired by the ocean. ✌🏼🫶🏼
merrildsmith said:
You’re welcome, Rob. That sounds lovely! I’ll be by to read later or early in the morning.
Frank J. Tassone said:
Good Evening, poets! Thanks for the challenge, Merril. I blended a pantoum into a haibun—hope that’s alright.
I’ll have my usual burgundy, when you get the chance. 😉
merrildsmith said:
I hope you helped yourself to the burgundy, Frank. You know where it is. 😉
Frank J. Tassone said:
That I do! 🤣
merrildsmith said:
😂
pvcann said:
Thank you for hosting us tonight Merril, and for an opportunity to explore the form.
merrildsmith said:
You’re welcome, Paul!
House of Heart said:
Such a beautiful poetic form. Thank you for the guide! 💙
merrildsmith said:
You’re very welcome. Feel free to join in, Rene!
House of Heart said:
I just might take a stab at it. I’m not much at poetic styles. 🥹
merrildsmith said:
No pressure, but it’s a fun form and there’s no counting syllables. 🙂
House of Heart said:
I really should learn to count. You’re the best sweet Merril. You might find me taking a shot at this! xo
merrildsmith said:
I’m really not a huge fan of syllabic poetry.
But I hope you do give it a try! 😊
House of Heart said:
I’ll do that, it looks like fun.😊
memadtwo said:
Well you know I can’t resist a pantoum. that will be my napowrimo challenge for today. (K)
merrildsmith said:
I look forward to reading it, Kerfe!
kittysverses said:
Thanks for hosting and the prompt, Merril. 🙂
merrildsmith said:
You’re very welcome! Thank you for your poem! 😊
wordsbythegreycat said:
A fun form to play with, thank you.
merrildsmith said:
You’re welcome. Thank you for your poem. I wasn’t able to leave a comment.
msjadeli said:
Just missed the Mr. Linky deadline so putting link here in comments. Kerfe inspired me to try my first unrhymed pantoum.
https://tao-talk.com/2024/04/21/dverse-mtb-pantoum-2nd-ode-to-earth-day-2024/
Willy Martinez said:
OMG did I miss the deadline to share on the Linky? I just published a poem today.
merrildsmith said:
Sorry! Yes, this was the prompt from last Thursday. The link closed on Saturday. But you can share your poem on this Thursday’s Open Link Night if you want to. Thank you for writing to the prompt, even if it was too late to share here. 😊
Willy Martinez said:
Thanks Merril 🙂 I’ll try to remember to share it tomorrow – I love this community!
merrildsmith said:
You’re welcome, Willy! That’s so wonderful to hear!