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1. The Pantoum
By T. Meldrum
April 2009

2. The Pantoum
Old Malayan verse form, often sung
Introduced into French poetry in the 19th
Century
Structured chain form
Can have any number of stanzas
Revived by Victor Hugo in Les Orientals
Later adopted by English poets

3. Usual Content
Rather like stream of consciousness
because of repetition of lines
Works well for memories, inner
exploration, dream-like ideas,
making a circular statement
Often feels slow, or dreamlike because
of the repetition

4. Structure
Each line is used twice
Lines may be of varying lengths
Each stanza is a quatrain
There is a rhyme scheme of abab in each
quatrain
Traditionally, the first two lines of each
quatrain present an image or an allusion;
the second two lines of each quatrain
convey the theme and meaning, and may
not have an obvious connection with the
first two lines

5. Structure
1 first
2
3
4
5
7
6
8
9
11
10
12
2
5
4
6
7
9
8
10
11
3
12
1 first
There can be
any number of
stanzas, but
fewer than
four doesn’t
allow the
pattern to be
seen.

6. Desert Dawning by Anne Johnson
The desert awakes with a whispered sigh.
A jackrabbit scurries through the brush
while far above a raven cries.
Dawn breaks from a frozen hush.
A roadrunner darts across the sand
in the shadow of a towering saguaro.
As fiery warmth fills the land
the cactus wren peers at a beetle below.
A jackrabbit scurries through the brush
bent on finding food to eat.
Dawn breaks from a frozen hush,
the cold chill of the night retreats.
In the shadow of a towering saguaro
a bevy of quail march by in a line.
The cactus wren peers at a beetle below.
On a sunny rock the lizard reclines.
Bent on finding food to eat,
a roadrunner darts across the sand.
The cold chill of the night retreats
as fiery warmth fills the land.
Notice how it takes two lines to make
complete sentence.
A bevy of quail march by in a line
while far above a raven cries.
On a sunny rock the lizard reclines.
The desert awakes with a whispered sigh.
Notice the use of rhyme and how the lines
repeat. There are small changes in
some lines.

7. My Own Breath - student pantoum
I can see my own breath
I can feel my own heart
beating in my own chest
faster than a go-kart
...with my complacent distraction
like a laugh from a cough
I could chop like a fraction
'cause a half is a lot
and I can feel my own heart
racing and racing
faster than a go-kart
elapsing laps like pacing
And like a laugh to a cough
I'm feeling sadly mistaken
'cause a half is a lot
in the path that I've taken
racing and racing
to my complacent distraction
elapsing laps like pacing
that I could chop like a fraction...
I'm feeling sadly mistaken
so my heart gets quick
but in the path that I've taken
I guess it is what it is
So my heart gets quick
Pumping in my own chest
I guess it is what it is
I can see My Own Breath

8. Dragons remind me of you - student poem
The snow falls softly to the ground
As I lie awake and think of you
Remembering when you were always around
From our imaginations, dragons and princesses grew
As I lie awake and think of you
Memories come flooding in
From our imaginations, dragons and princesses grew
Fighting and conquering, we would always win
Memories keep flooding in
We played, we danced, we ran, we sang
Fighting and conquering we would win
Announcing our victory with a mighty loud BANG
We played, we danced, we ran, we sang
Water guns held high in the air
Announcing our victory with a mighty loud BANG
Conquering dragons in their dark dungeon lair
Water guns held high in the air
Full of joy at our day's success
Of conquering dragons in their dark dungeon lair
Covered in dirt, a rip in my dress
Full of joy at our day's success
Smiling we left that world behind
Covered in dirt, a rip in my dress
We played all day, no regard for time
Smiling we left that world behind
Now memories left to reminisce
We played all day, no regard for time
Those days of ignorance I'll truly miss
Now memories left to reminisce
Remembering when you were always around
Those days of ignorance I'll truly miss
As the snow falls softly to the ground

9. sought, without sound
the tide pulls away
laying low to the ground
i go over my day.
or surrender to gods
keeping goals clear
but we fail against odds
while the end remains near.
the tide pulls away
while the moon lights the sky
i go over my day
when the waves pass on by.
keeping goals clear
much deeper than coal
while the end remains near
they still want your soul.
while the moon lights the sky
some choose to settle their night
when the waves pass on by
the soft remain bright.
much deeper than coal
laying low to the ground
they still want your soul
sought, without sound.
By e.r.w.
some choose to settle their night
or surrender to gods
the soft remain bright
but we fail against odds.

10. Your Turn …
Brainstorm ideas involving memories,
journeys, dreams, circular ideas
Bonus – the next stanza is half written
Usually you will need to revisit grammar and
line breaks to make the lines work
If the rhyme is too hard, don’t worry about
it. Some people find rhyme easy, others
don’t.

11. Bibliography
University course handouts. 1996.
Unst, Ariade. “The Pantoum Verse
Form”. Accessed 2008.
http://baymoon.com/~ariadne/form
/pantoum.htm