The BearWomanButterfly Sonnet
A variation on the Sonnet:
Type: Structural, isosyllabic, metrical, rhyming. Variations can include other components, such as repetition.
Poem Length: 14 lines
Line Length: Isosyllabic (with allowed variations). When using iambic meter, this sonnet will contains the same even number of syllables for hard (masculine)-rhymed lines, the same odd number of syllables for soft (feminine)-rhymed lines (e.g., 10 and 11 syllables, respectively, for hard/male and soft/female rhymes in iambic pentameter).
Structure: A mirror-type sonnet consisting of one sestain (the first “wing”), one couplet (the “body”), and another sestain (the second “wing”). A shorter variation would be a “baby butterfly,” which would contain quaintains rather than sestains (12 lines total). The body couplet must rhyme with itself (by definition), and that rhyme must be distinct from (not rhyme with any of) the lines in the wings. When using a volta with the Butterfly Sonnet, it should be located somewhere between Line 6 to 8
Thematic Components: The basic requirements of this form are that the “body” contains the core thought that would typically be the final closure or summation statement in a sonnet (a couplet in the English Sonnet and many others, a quatrain in a Rosarian Sonnet), and the “wings” flesh out the topic.
One way to write the wings is to move from the outer edges (Lines 1 and 14) with more generic imagery or a lighter tone and intensify each line as the wings approach the body.
Another way to treat the wings is as two separate entities. An example of this would be for each wing to address different yet related aspects of the overall theme. Another way would be to have the body also act as a volta (in the first and/or second line(s) of the couplet) and have the second wing go off in another direction (as one would when writing an English Sonnet).
(A volta creates a sharp and often unexpected thematic or imagistic turn which contrasts with the initial portion of the poem.)
Meter: Iambic pentameter preferred but not required (i.e., xXxXxXxXxX for hard rhymed lines, xXxXxXxXxXx for soft rhymed lines)
Rhyme Scheme: End-of-line rhymes are used. The standard for this form is for fully enveloped wings (abccba dd abccba for the Butterfly Sonnet).
Many other rhyme schemes are possible. Here are some variations:
Fully enveloped wings (form standard):
Butterfly: abccba dd abccba
Triplet enveloped wings:
Butterfly: abacdc ee cdcaba
Fully mirrored:
Butterfly: abcdef gg fedcba
Fully Coupleted:
Butterfly: aabbcc dd ccbbaa
Rosarian Rhymed (This variation would not be a true butterfly, as the rhymes are not mirrored in the first and third stanzas.):
Butterfly: aabcc deed ffbgg
Enveloped Couplet Wings (This one might be good for when you have unrelenting insomnia—with eight “a” rhymes needed and four “b” rhymes needed, this ought to be a tough one to write in English.):
Butterfly: aabbaa cc aabbaa
Other Enveloped Couplet Variations:
Butterfly: abbccd ee dccbba
Terza Rima Variation:
Butterfly: ababcb ee bcbaba
Cornish Style Rhyme Variations:
Butterfly: A(1)bacbc A(1)A(2) cbcabA(2) Where A(1) and A(2) are exact repeats (this variation breaks the body rhyme rule)
Butterfly: AbacbC dd CbcabA Where A and C are exact repeats.
Many variations of this form are possible.
History: This form was created by Misha BearWoman Metzler on 2009 July 11.
2009 July 11; updated 2009 July 14
Reference: http://allpoetry.com/column/show/2354161
-
21 lines, 13 comments, on Jul 15 12:00 PM. In Nature
Adding your comment: