Rhyming Forms: Pantoum

Rhyming Forms: Pantoum

The Pantoum is a Malayan form of poetry that has a good deal of repetition involved. In fact, the first couple of times you attempt a Pantoum, you may very well become lost and confused as to which line is repeated where. However, after writing a couple the pattern doesn't seem as complicated and can be easily memorized.
There is no set number of lines stanzas in a Pantoum; however, you must pay attention to and follow the rhyme scheme; making certain that all refrains are in their specific places.

Stanza 1:
Line 1-A
Line 2-B
Line 3-A
Line 4-B

Stanza 2:
Line 5 (repeat of line 2 in stanza 1) B
Line 6 (new line) C
Line 7 (repeat of line 4 in stanza 1) B
Line 8 (new line) C

Stanza 3/Last Stanza (This is the format for the last stanza regardless of how many preceding stanzas exist):
Line 9 (line 2 of the previous stanza) (for this example this line would be A)
Line 10 (line 3 of the first stanza) B
Line 11 (line 4 of the previous stanza) (for this example this line would be A)
Line 12 (line 1 of the first stanza) B

NOTE: notice that all rhyme schemes are represented by CAPITAL letters, the reason for this is because EVERY line in a Pantoum is a refrain line and will reappear somewhere in the poem.

There is no specific patterned meter or syllabic count to be used in a pantoum, however, there are no rules that regulate this and so there is room for some experimentation.