Albert's Poetry Cafe ~ Poeticpiers ~ Fun with Form: "The Retourne"  November 16, 2008 - December 7, 2008

THE RETOURNE

French form
Written in quatrains (4line stanzas)
Iambic pentameter 4 metric feet or eight syllables per line
No requirement to rhyme

The first stanza provides the opening line of each subsequent stanza in turn
Pattern
First stanza line one
Line two
line three
Line four.

Second stanza line one == line two of first stanza
Line two
Line three
Line four

Third stanza
Line one = line three of first stanza
Line two
Line three
Line four

Fourth stanza = line 4 of first stanza
Line two
Line three
Line four.

Example

We do not know what to expect.
Each day can spring a new surprise.
There is no way we can detect
what maybe in our future lies.

Each day can spring a new surprise.
Because we are not meant to know,
the future�s hidden from our eyes.
This does not change It�s always so.

There is no way we can detect
what even the next day may bring
and thus we learn to accept
the unexpected;anything.

Which may be in our future lies.
All we can do is live in hope.
Eventually we realise
no matter what we can still cope.

12-Nov-08

http:// blog.myspace.com/poeticpiers

Helena

Australia

8 Contestants
10 Submissions
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Created Nov 17, 2008