How to Write a Tritina Poem

I've always had a love of poetry. My personal preference is free verse and I've had a hard time breaking out of that and experiencing new poetic forms. However recently, I've had a huge urge to do just that. I'm currently attempting to broaden my horizons when it comes to poetry, so I'm doing a bit of dabbling in forms other than free verse. Tritina's are a fun first step in learning new forms. In an attempt to share my journey through the world of poetry, I will be writing hubs on how to write the different forms of poetry I learn on the way.

The Tritina
A Tritina is a poetic form that is fun to write. It's seems so simple that it's challenging. The tritina is a ten lined poem, divided over three tercets with a single line at the end of the poem. You can stop after the ten lines or create sequences to make a longer poem. Tritinas arose in the 20th century. they use three end words that are repeated throughout the poem, sort of like a sestina (which Is on my list of poetic forms to explore).

Tritina Form

Guidelines to writing a poem in Tritina form:

• The poem has ten lines, grouped into three tercets and one conclusive line.
• Tritinas have no meter requirements - However whatever meter you pick, you should try to stick with it to maintain the rhythm of your poem.
• The rhyme scheme, if you choose to have one, is based on the three end words you choose.
• Having chosen your three words, your pattern should look like this: ABC, CAB, BCA and the last line have all three words in it, bringing you back to ABC.

For example: Three end words = Car, Bus, Plane
1. I drove my car
2: I took the bus
3. I took a plane
4: I took a plane
5. I drove my car
6. I took the bus
7. I took the bus
8. I took a plane
9. I drove my car
10. I drove my car, then took the bus, and finally got on a plane

I imagine you'll write something more creative than that! :)

An Example of a Tritina Form Poem

This is a simple poem in Tritina form that I wrote recently.

"The Melody"

In my ears ring this sweet melody
The beating of a healing heart
The suturing of a frayed soul

The needle that stitches this tattered soul
Is the peaceful chiming of the melody
Of an ever mending heart

To you I give this beating heart
To you I bear my sutured soul
With you I share this curative melody

This ever ringing melody, healing this heart and sewing this soul

Skylar Spring © copyright 2011

Comments

Emapeel1 on September 17, 2012:

I wrote a Tritina back in 2007 and looked up the form here to double check I had followed it correctly and discovered that my second tercet read WORD WAY TRUTH when it should have been WORD TRUTH WAY. I loved the "The Melody" and it resonated deeply in my soul. Thank you for providing such wonderful creation

bobby on June 10, 2012:

niiiiiiiiiiiice

livi44 on March 13, 2012:

i really liked it........who did it

Skylar Spring (author) from New York on November 15, 2011:

@Daniella... Thanks for commenting and voting :) I sort of stumbled upon this form. I'd only ever heard of sestinas. It seems many people haven't heard of Tritinas.

Daniella Lopez on November 14, 2011:

Fabulous hub! I have never heard of Tritina form before, but I do recall having seen pieces within this form shape. I'll have to try my hand at some here soon. :P Voted up!

Skylar Spring (author) from New York on November 05, 2011:

@Eiddwen... I'm glad you found this hub interesting and I hope this helps with your experimentation of styles. Thanks for reading! :)

Eiddwen from Wales on November 05, 2011:

Very interesting and thanks for sharing.

I am at the moment into experimenting with different styles of writing.

Take care and have a great weekend.

Eiddwen.

Skylar Spring (author) from New York on September 29, 2011:

@SylviaSky... I had only heard of a sestina too when i first read about tritinas. Thanks for reading!

Sylvia Sky from USA on September 28, 2011:

That is truly interesting; I never herd of a Tritina before, only a Sestina. Thanks for the example.