Nine Line Poetry Forms

It is unclear why 9-line verse is not more popular given that arguably one of England's most influential poets, Edmund Spencer devised this form for his fantasy narrative poem The Faerie Queene, and this in turn was used by poets the quality of Shelly and Keats who would have normally stamped their own mark stuck faithfully to the Spenserian form and even in the 20th century, Lowell and Larkin stuck faithfully to that form as well.
The French naturally have their own version which is the Lai and its variants, and this is still a popular form today. In Hungary the 16th Century poet Balint Balassi still inspires poetry by modern poets. In the 21st Century Jan Turner has produced the "Trijan Refrain", and Sarah Rayburn, the "Novelinee". and if we look in Turco's "Book of Forms" we see Ronsardian, Rubliw, Triad, and Tercet mentioned also.

Quick guide to forms

(for more information click on the form)
Balassi Stanza Rhyme scheme: a. a. d. b. b. d. c..c. d

Syllable count:.. 6. 6. 7. 6. 6. 7. 6. 6. 7.
Lai and Virelai five syllable couplets a, a,
separated by a two syllable line, b,
nine lines per stanza
Novelinee Rhyme scheme: a. b. a. b. c. d. c..d. d
Decasyllabic
or Iambic Pentameter
Ronsardian Rhyme scheme: a. b. a. b. c. c. d..d. c

Syllable count:.. 10. 4. 10. 4. 10. 10. 4. 4. 8.
Rubliw Iambic monometer greeting,
bimeter, trimeter. tetramter, pentameter,
tetrameter, trimeter, bimeter, monometer.
Spenserian Stanza Rhyme scheme: a. b. a. b. c. d. c..d. d
Iambic Pentameter Preferred
Last line Iambic Hexameter with caesura



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