Poetry Challenge—Introducing the Englyn: Form 3—the Englyn Unodl Union
An englyn is a form of Welsh or Cornish
verse, with a reputation of being hard to master. It has several different
variants, all of which are governed by strict rules. This week, we’ll look at
the englyn unodl union.
The englyn unodl union consists of a
four-line verse. The first line has ten syllables, the second has six, and the
third and fourth lines have seven. The rhyme is introduced in the seventh,
eighth or ninth syllable of the first line, and repeated at the end of the
second, third and fourth lines. The first syllable after the rhyme in the first
line rhymes with the first part of the second line. Once again, I’ve chosen to
make a longer poem from several verses that follow these rules.
The Troll Lord Cometh
The
troll lord cometh through the pre-dawn gloam
Roaming
from the bridge, he mourns,
night-time’s
loss, the coming dawn,
hides
within his lair forlorn.
When
dusk shrouds the world in soft black and grey
Away
from the shadows, back,
Back
away, leave without track
Leave
no trace, let no twig crack
For
the troll lord wakes hungry from slumber
Rumbles
up, hunts what he sees
What
he scents, shows no mercy
Eater
in the night is he
Hide
your children, your livestock, your loved ones
Run
from the thunderous knock
Light
does not scare him or shock
Only
sunlight turns him to rock
Pray
your gods keep you safe, this troll defeat
Meet
your hopes, hear the bell toll
Hear
your prayers, honour their role
protect
all from this lord troll.
Why don’t you give it a try? Try writing at
least one englyn unodl union for each day of the week.
You can find out more about how to
write englyns from the following sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Englyn
http://www.oocities.org/sca_bard/childrensenglynmilwr.html
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