Whittled Words – Dizain Poem

Posted by Brad Osborne on February 28, 2020 · 18 Comments 

 

 

Welcome to the weekly series, Whittled Words. A series highlighting the innumerable types and styles of poetry to challenge any creative wordsmith. This week’s selection:

 

DIZAIN POEM

 

The Dizain is a long established French poetic form. This particular form was a favorite of 15th and 16th century French poets, but it has also been employed by English poets such as Philip Sidney and John Keats.

 

Here are the basic rules of the Dizain:

 

• One 10-line stanza
• 10 syllables per line
• Employs the following rhyme scheme: ababbccdcd

 

Note: You may have noticed that the rhyme pattern in the second half of the poem mirrors the pattern in the first half. I found this nuance made the poem both fun and challenging to write.

 

 

Examples of Dizain Poems:

 

 

ON A FRAGRANT TRAIL

by Yasmin Khan

  

I dance with the wind on a fragrant trail.

Blooms in the meadow beckon me

I stroll across the grass, over the vale

I hear trilling birds flying carefree

Verdant dale delights in its own melody

I fling myself to nature’s beauty

Where lush boughs tumble balmy bounty

A redolent zephyr whistles and hums

I breathe Gaea’s fragrant serenity

And meander among dew-kissed blossoms.

 

 

TOO SOON

By Kent Phalen

 

The fall comes fast as time flies by too soon
Oh my, summer it seems you were just here
How come the days rush by I ask the moon
He shakes his head looks down and sheds a tear
The stars shine bright high in the sky so clear
Do they not know that life it dreads the snow
That eye have dimmed and yes my feet have slowed
May fall be kind and sing out loud, sweet song
May I be surrounded by ones I know
And when Jesus calls I can go along

 

 

NAMES

By Brad Osborne

 

If true that a rose by another name

Holds in its fine form fragrance just as sweet

If vivid beauty remains just the same

And if other qualities are replete

With the things that make a rose so complete

Why bother giving anything a name

Then on whom may I place deserved blame

When new people’s names I cannot recall

There seems to be an underlying shame

So why do we bother with names at all

 

 

A CONVERSATION BETWEEN POETS

By PressOn

(Example of a dialogue Dizain)

 

“You ought to write in forms, you know.”

“Free verse is form enough for me.”

“Oh, that! A package less the bow!”

“If that is so, how can it be
that formlessness yields poetry?”

“A passing fad! A silly thing,
for meter bids the lines to sing.”

“But freedom brings new creations
unbound by rule and measured sling.”

With that, they took up their stations.

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed this entry to the series, Whittled Words. I look forward to your comments, and if you dare, maybe share your own Dizain poem. Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

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