SESSION 15 — Form & Meaning: The Triolet
Photo by Caio Arbulu on Unsplash
Discussion:
The word triolet comes from the French word for “clover leaf.” This poetic form is thought to have originated in thirteenth-century France, but early print examples are rare.
It is an eight-line poem with a rhyme scheme of ABaAabAB: The first line is repeated in the fourth and seventh lines and the second line is also the last line (the capital letters indicate repeating lines).
So let’s explore the world of triolets (and learn a little bit about rhyme schemes in the process).
Triolet III
By Patrick Carey (1624-1657)
Yes, my dear Lord, I’ve found it so; A
No joys but thine are purely sweet; B
Other delights come mixt with woe, a
Yes, my dear Lord, I’ve found it so. A
Pleasure at courts is but in show, a
With true content in cells we meet; b
Yes, my dear Lord, I’ve found it so; A
No joys but thine are purely sweet. B
Ephemera
By Carol Smallwood (written in 2016)
Mayflies bear a Greek name meaning living a day, A
An allusion to their dance before they die B
After maturing in the month of May. a
Mayflies bear a Greek name meaning living a day A
And start as water nymphs that grow to fly a
Only to die after mating—a last hooray. b
Mayflies bear a Greek name meaning living a day, A
An allusion to their dance before they die. B
Valentine
By Wendy Cope
My heart has made its mind up A
And I’m afraid it’s you. B
Whatever you’ve got lined up, a
My heart has made its mind up A
And if you can’t be signed up a
This year, next year will do. b
My heart has made its mind up A
And I’m afraid it’s you. B
Writing Prompt
Let’s try our hand at this courtly form.You can write about anything you wish, as mundane as washing the dishes or as grand as an ode to the starlit sky.
Just remember the pattern:
1. The first line (A)
2. The second line (B)
3. The third line rhymes with the first (a)
4. Repeat the first line (A)
5. The fifth line rhymes with the first (a)
6. The sixth line rhymes with the second line (b)
7. Repeat the first line (A)
8. Repeat the second line (B)
And voila! You (and I) have written your (our) first triolet!