Six Line Poetry Forms

In his "Book of Forms", Lewis Turco lists over a dozen variations of six line poetry forms. Several of them are well known to Sonnet writers and are considered by most simply to be a turn or shift in argument.
Very few poets today think of these forms as a poetry form in itself. One example that comes readily to mind is Theodore Roethke's Open House.

The Welsh and Irish have several examples of six line poetry as aficionados will quickly attest and there are also several Oriental versions that can be added to the list. Again most poets do not consider these forms when writing.
What is being suggested is that these forms be considered as an alternative form when writing a ballad, a love poem, a Gothic story, or perhaps something after the fashion of a P

Quick guide to forms

(for more information click on the form)

Burns Stanza, Standard Habbie
a. a. a. b. a. b.
Iambic Tetrameter (4 feet)
Iambic Triameter (3 feet)
Sestet Couplets a. a. b. b. c. c.
Heroic Couplets Iamb Pent
Or any meter
Collins Couplets a. a. b. b. c. C...b. b. d. d. c. C...etc
Heroic Couplet = Iamb Pent = Divine Collins
Or any meter
English Sestet a. b. a. b. c. c.
Original Version no set meter
Later Iambic Pentameter
Envelope Couplet A. a. b. b. a. A.
A. a. c. c. a. A.
A. a. d. d. a. A. etc
Italian Sestet a. b. c. a. b. c.
Original Version no set meter
Later Iambic Pentameter
Rime Couee a. a. b. a. a. b.
a. Eight Syllables
b. Six Syllables
Short Particular Measure a. a. b. a. a. b.
a. Six syllables
b. Eight syllables

Sicilian Sestet a. b. a. b. a. b.
Original Version no set meter
Later Iambic Pentameter
Spanish Sestet a. a. b. c. c. b.
a. b. b. a. c. c.
Syllabic or Iambic Tetrameter (4 feet)
Stave Stanza a. a. b. b. C1. C2.
C1 repeat word, C2 repeat line.
No set meter, any number of stanzas.
Wordsworth Sestet a. b. b. c. a. c.

Iambic Pentameter
Un-wreathed Sestet External Rhyme Scheme b. a. b. a. b. a.
Internal Rhyme Scheme a. b. a. b. a. x.
No set meter
Wreathed Sestet External Rhyme Scheme a. b. a. b. a. b.
Internal Rhyme Scheme x. a. b. a. b. a.
No set meter
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