For this week’s challenge, I had a look at a form I haven’t tried since I used it for the challenge months ago—the tritina. It’s a ten line poem arranged in three stanzas of three lines, and ends with a single line. The key words are the end of line words that become repeat and refrain words, so the best way to tackle it is to choose your three end of line words before you start.
The prompt image is this one by Cornoyer, entitled Early spring in Central Park.
Choose three words you’d associate with the image, words that will fall at the end of your lines. Number them 1,2,3.
Your first stanza has three lines, with end of line words in the order 1,2,3.
Second stanza, the end of line words are in the order 3,1,2
Third stanza 2,3,1.
Last line uses all three words in order 1,2,3.
The lines don’t have to be any particular length but it’s usual for them to be all of the same length.
Sounds complicated but it isn’t. Leave you link in the comments as usual, before next Tuesday please, and have fun!
I chose the words
1) rain 2) green 3) partings
Spring partings
In spring there’s always so much rain
You said it makes the grass grow green
You said life is made of partings.
Our goodbyes were all small partings
We’d kiss goodnight beneath the rain
In spring when grass was always green.
A colour I can’t bear is green
It brings to mind all of our partings
Drowning happiness like the rain.
Rain falls, pours green laughter on partings.
Your poem has the feel of rain somehow–a sad rain.
I always want to get started right away on your challenges, but unfortunately it’s going to have to wait till I get some work done. (It’s like my reward.) 🙂
The ideas will be simmering in a back room in your head until you have the time to look and see what they’ve cooked up 🙂
I worked this all out while I was changing sheets. It’s amazing what your brain can do while your hands are busy doing other stuff! https://fmmewritespoems.wordpress.com/2016/09/07/spring-in-the-park-tritana-for-jane-dougherty
I find teethbrushing is incredibly productive 🙂
Driving not so good…
Best not.
Oh my! This is beautiful. Since I started visiting your blog, I have become acquainted with a handful of poetry forms.
Your poem is lovely and I like the repetition of the theme.
Word repetition is one of the big no nos in writing prose, but in poetry it can work beautifully. I like these forms with the repeats. Hope you’ll try it out 🙂
I will definitely try. If I do not get to post a response, it will not be for lack of effort. 🙂
Poetry challenges are becoming
More challenging
Take a deep breath, think of three spring-like words and you’re ready to go 🙂
https://grammywritesblog.wordpress.com/2016/09/07/at-the-park/
I’m learning a lot from these challenges!
We all are 🙂
Hi Jane, here’s my take
https://srisudhak.wordpress.com/2016/09/07/with-each-other/
Too much rain
https://rivrvlogr.wordpress.com/2016/09/07/endless-rain/
Hi Jane,
My homework is here: https://thechemicalistwrites.wordpress.com/2016/09/08/poetry-challenge-1-by-jane-dougherty-a-tritina/
I just wanted to request any form of detailed feedback, if you have time, on the poem I have written. I really wouldn’t mind any criticism.
Thank you,
Manpreet (The Chemicalist)
Had company last week and missed participating. So glad to be back. This is wonderful!
Looking forward to what you make of it 🙂
https://learawrites.wordpress.com/2016/09/08/on-a-bench-in-the-spring/
Good morning, Jane! I hope it’s as sunny where you are as it is here! here’s my tritina:
https://writinginnorthnorfolk.com/2016/09/09/rhapsody-in-the-rain/
Sunny and warm, but not unseasonally torrid as it has been thank goodness 🙂
Poetry and music this time. 🙂
(I worked some of it out in a spin class–indoor cycling.)
https://merrildsmith.wordpress.com/2016/09/09/a-spring-story/
Ah! My comment got lost. Amidst ate it, I suppose?
And my phone auto corrected me again – “Akismet ate it, I suppose?” was what I wanted to say. 🙂
Anyway, I just thought that writing a Tritina was like completing a crossword puzzle. It was challenging and frustrating, but exhilarating when completed.
It’s a strange form. You can end up with three stanzas that repeat themselves, or you can make a proper poem out of it. It’s a difficult one to get right, I think.
I think it is the beauty of forms like this, Shadow poetry, is it? There’s a lot of play and deliberateness that are involved in the writing of the lines. The learning curve is quite steep indeed, but the rewards are terrific.
Like anything, I suppose. If it’s easy, there’s something you’re not doing quite right 🙂
Where did you leave it? On your blog or mine?
On yours. I wrote a comment after I linked up my piece. Then I realized, the error must be on my end because I typed the comment on my desktop and did not immediately send it because I needed to check a spelling of a word I used in the comment. However, while I was looking up the correct spelling, I was called away without clicking the send. Then I used my phone to check on my comment and saw that it was not posted on your page. Oh well… mea culpa. 🙂
Never mind. It provided a talking point at least 🙂
This one was a hard one for me. Normally I don’t like repeating words when I write. So while it went against my grain a bit, I think I managed a passable poem. Have a good weekend Jane! ~ Kat
https://kmmyrman.wordpress.com/2016/09/09/forget-me/
Thanks Kat. You too!
I love the tender poignancy of your poem and this poetry form. I may try my hand!
Thank you! Do have a go, I’d like to see it 🙂
Thanks for your encouragement Jane! I will try and see what happens. 🙂
Just follow the rules and you can’t go wrong 🙂
Hi Jane: my link is defective (a long story) so here is my link:
https://ontheland.wordpress.com/2016/09/09/hearts-spring/
Thanks for doing the Tritina again…it’s not a cinch (for me) but it’s enjoyable.
https://methodtwomadness.wordpress.com/2016/09/10/light-shift-new/