Terzanelle

A terzanelle is a poetic form combining aspects of the villanelle and the terza rima.^[1]^[2] It is nineteen lines total, with five triplets and a concluding quatrain. The middle line of each triplet stanza is repeated as the third line of the following stanza, and the first and third lines of the initial stanza are the second and final lines of the concluding quatrain; thus, seven of the lines are repeated in the poem. The rhyme scheme and stanzaic structure are as follows (a capitalized letter indicates a line repeated verbatim):

A¹BA²

bCB

cDC

dED

eFE

fA¹FA²

Or, for the alternate (couplet) ending, the final stanza is:

fFA¹A²

Notable examples[edit]

Terzanelle in Thunderweather by Lewis Turco, with a further explanation of the form

References[edit]

^ Drury, John (2006). The poetry dictionary. Writer's Digest. p. 148. ISBN 978-1-58297-329-6.
^ Eliopulos, Tina D.; Moffett, Todd Scott (2005). The Everything Writing Poetry Book: A Practical Guide To Style, Structure, Form, And Expression. Everything. p. 119. ISBN 978-1-59337-322-1.

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[1] Drury, John (2006). The poetry dictionary. Writer's Digest. p. 148. ISBN 978-1-58297-329-6.

[2] Eliopulos, Tina D.; Moffett, Todd Scott (2005). The Everything Writing Poetry Book: A Practical Guide To Style, Structure, Form, And Expression. Everything. p. 119. ISBN 978-1-59337-322-1.

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