Stine Writing and Miniatures

W3 Prompt #138: Wea’ve Written Weekly

W3 Prompt #138: Wea’ve Written Weekly
https://skepticskaddish.com/2024/12/18/w3-prompt-138-weave-written-weekly/

Lesley’s prompt guidelines

I don’t know where this came from but I think it works. Sometimes I just need to read a poem and “feel” the rhythm and then I can write one. The subject of the poetry, well that is a totally random thing I have no control over! I wasn’t sure if there was a theme or not.

Playing

Mixedy, matchedy
Ben went to play
And find some good friends
Whoever they be

Up to the tree house
And out to the car
His house was jam packed
But his yard was empty

©2024 CBialczak

Here’s a second attempt with a theme

Jackety, blackety
Christmas will come
Whether we like it
coming or not

Wrapping up quickly
Before the kids come
So they don’t see
What they all got

©2024 CBialczak

Double dactyl? (more challenging)

  • Stanzaic: 8 lines; two stanzas.
  • Metric: Each line should contain two dactyls.
    • A dactyl is a metrical foot with a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables, like this: “YOM-pa-pa.”
    • Lines 4 and 8 are the exception to this, rounding off each stanza with a “YOM-pa-pa YOM.”
  • Line 1 should consist of a pair of slightly nonsensical rhyming words.
    • These can be relevant to the theme, or not. They might simply serve as a little oral warm-up (e.g., Flonkington plonkington).
  • Line 2 should consist of a single name.
    • Some names are simply MADE for double dactyls (e.g., Gillian Anderson, Christopher Eccleston), but many are not.
  • Line 6 (sometimes line 7) should ideally contain a single, six-syllable word. However, many double dactyl writers gently ignore this rule. Why? Because it’s REALLY awkward.

McWhirtle? (less challenging)

A McWhirtle is a light verse form similar to a double dactyl, which shares essentially the same form as the double dactyl, but without the strict requirements, making it easier to write. Specifically:

  • Metric: Although the meter is the same as in a double-dactyl, syllables may move from the end of one line to the beginning of the next for readability.
  • No requirement for a nonsense phrase (e.g., “Higgledy piggledy”) on the first line.
  • No requirement for a single, six-syllable word in the second stanza.
  • There is an extra unstressed syllable added to the beginning of the first line of each stanza.

21 comments

  7. Wow. Not one poem, but two! I appreciate the bonus! I like the idea of Ben looking for his friends in the tree house and finding his yard empty. This is intriguing. Where are his friends?
    Your second one is lovely and seasonal. 🎁 I wonder what they all got?
    Thank you so much, Christine, for joining in the challenge 🙏💕

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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