A Beginners Guide to Writing Poetry ©

Poetry Forms - The Triolet 

This is a traditional form originating from France circa the 13th century, which became popular here in England with poets like Thomas Hardy & Robert Bridges (poet laureate 1913 - 1930) as a form to develop serious pieces, after a long period during which it was primarily a vehicle for comic poems.

The form is quite easy to pen and is one that probably deserves a 'come back', and may well suit those poets who wish to take a step beyond the less formal styles. You can choose to take the comic or serious paths to suit your topic.

Triolets are short poems of eight lines with only two rhymes that are repeated throughout.

The rules of this fixed form are straightforward:

The first line is repeated in the 4th and 7th lines;

The second line is repeated in the final line;

The first two end-words are used to complete the tight rhyme scheme.

Therefore we only write 5 original lines, giving the triolet a deceptively simple appearance - the main trick is to ensure the first two lines will suit the repeat pattern:-  ABaAabAB, where capital letters indicate repeated lines.

Examples:

How Great My Grief

How great my grief, my joys how few,
Since first it was my fate to know thee!